Tracfone Wireless is among the United States Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that provide both prepaid service plus a variety of branded smartphones that you can use with their service. At the company, you can shop for prepaid cell phones, Pay as You Go airtime, and no-contract monthly plans, among many others. Today, we shall look at the TracFone Emergency Broadband Benefit and see how you can apply for the service.
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a federal government initiative that aims to help the families seriously afflicted by the Covid”19 to access broadband services to use for their communication services. When Covid’19 came to the world, many people were left without jobs and found it difficult to afford communication services due to low income. That is why the US government came up with a program to help those who cannot afford the service.
It is necessary to understand that only one person per household can apply for the benefit. The others can benefit from the concerned person who can either be their child, parent, or colleague. Also, if you are a beneficiary of the Lifeline program, you can apply for the EBB cell phone program and enjoy the double benefit. When the EBB program comes to an end, the Lifeline beneficiaries will continue with the Lifeline service as usual.
How do I join Tracfone Wireless
If you are a new phone service user or would like to switch to TracFone Wireless services, you can know that the process is straightforward. You can visit the Tracfone Wireless website to get started. One needs to download the My Account App, whereby the standard data rates may apply.
You also need to activate your phone service, and that means you will require a SIM kit and a TracFone compatible phone to get started. TracFone runs on all the major carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, and you can be sure that any phone that works with any of the networks will operate on TracFone with success.
During registration, you need to enter the serial number, phone number, or SIM number of the device(s). When your phone begins to run on the service, you will need to port your contacts from your previous phone to the new phone. If you have a Google or iCloud account, you can log into the account using the new device, and all your contacts plus photos and videos will come back to the device.
When you join, you will get various rewards that will help you save big for your mobile plans every month. All one has to do is enter their phone number, and unlock a bonus-point prize plus exclusive access to free perks.
You will also get many ways to earn points each month. As a customer, you will also benefit from the member’s favorite local discounts, where you can save big on your shopping, entertainment, dining, and other daily activities. You can sign up for the program in three different ways. They include the following.
- Text “Rewards” to 611611
- Load TracFone.com/rewards, or
- Call 1-800-867-7183
The TracFone Wireless rewards program is one of the best TracFone deals that you can have when you join the service.
What Is the TracFone Emergency Broadband Benefit
As I mentioned earlier, the Emergency Broadband Benefit, EBB is a program that allows those seriously affected by Covid’19 to benefit from discounted broadband programs. The users can stay connected to friends and family members. The service is run by the Federal Communications Commission and offered to the beneficiaries via various service providers, including TracFone Wireless.
Therefore, TracFone Wireless Emergency Broadband Benefit is part of the larger Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB). Those using the service at TracFone cannot apply for the benefit from other service providers.
How to Qualify for the TracFone EBB program
There are various ways you can qualify for the TracFone EBB program. The qualification criteria are uniform for all carriers, only that there may be different qualification rules if the concerned carrier offers a similar Covid’19 relief aid. For instance, you need to meet the following eligibility criteria.
- Has an income below or at 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Participates in particular assistance programs, including SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline.
- Receives benefits under the reduced-price school lunch or the school breakfast program
- Got a Federal Pell Grant within the current award year
- Got a big loss of income due to loss of job or furlough beginning February 29, 2020
- Meets the eligibility criteria for the provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program
Once you have met all the qualification requirements, you can begin applying for the Emergency Benefit Program.
How to apply for the TracFone Emergency Program
You can apply for the EBB program online at the TracFone Wireless website. To begin, you need to enter your legal information on the fields provided, enter your ZIP Code, phone number, and email address. You then select either “I have a phone number that I want to use with EBB” or “I need a new phone number for EBB,” and TracFone will guide you in the next steps.
Afterward, you will get a notification in your phone number or email address on the way forward. You can also apply for the service via the Federal Communications Commission website when you load with your phone or computer using a secure internet connection as well as a good browser. After that, you can choose your service provider for the program. In our case, you can choose to work with Tracfone Wireless as your preferred service provider.
The Federal Communications Commission gives you three ways to apply for the service. They include the following.
- Contact a participating EBB provider directly to learn about their process of application.
- Visit GetEmergencyBroadband org to apply online to find participating providers near you. You will have to contact a participating service provider to get an eligible plan.
- Call 833-511-0311 to apply via mail or print a copy of your application and return it along with copies of documents with proof of eligibility to:
Emergency Broadband Support Center
P.O. Box 7081
London, KY 40742
What does the EBB program contain
The Emergency Broadband Benefit provides a broadband discount of up to $50 per month for the broadband service geared to eligible households. Also, the service provides up to $75 per month for households within the qualifying Tribal lands.
Additionally, every eligible household can get a one-time discount of up to $100 to buy a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet from participating service providers. Therefore, you can easily get an EBB free tablet to use for various purposes if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
You need to note that the Emergency Broadband Benefit is just limited to one monthly service discount plus one device discount per household. You cannot have two people in one household benefiting from the service. Others will have to benefit from the service of the beneficiary.
Can the Lifeline beneficiaries apply for the EBB program
There are no limitations to applying for the EBB program if you are a Lifeline beneficiary. In fact, you can apply for the EBB program and continue enjoying the two services.
Lifeline is more comprehensive than the EBB program because it gives you a free government phone that you enjoy with discounted plans. The EBB is only for broadband service. When the EBB program ends, the Lifeline beneficiaries will continue enjoying the Lifeline services as long as one continues to meet the eligibility criteria.
When will the EBB program end
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a temporary service meaning that it will end. However, the exact date is not known. The service provision guidelines stipulate that the service will end six months after the end of Covid’19 or when the funds allocated for the program are over. Therefore, whichever comes first will put the EBB program to an end.
When over, you will get a notification from your service provider at your phone or email address. As a TracFone customer, you may continue with the plan you had subscribed to for the EBB, but you will have to cater to the plan’s full cost this time around.
What other services can I get from TracFone
TracFone gives you various services, which include no-contract cell phone plans and phones. The following are the plans you can get from TracFone Wireless.
1) Monthly plans
You can subscribe to various monthly plans, including unlimited talk and text and a set amount of data. If you end your month with unused data, you can simply roll it to the next month. However, you have to keep your monthly service active. The plans are only applicable with a smartphone. They include the following.
- 1GB: $20
- 2GB: $25
- 3GB: $30
2) Pay AS You Go plans
In these plans, you get a prepaid airtime card with 30 to 1500 minutes and for web browsing data card with 300 MB To 2 GB.
What phones does TracFone have
TracFone has various phones that they sell online from their stores, and you can order to receive them at your place. Furthermore, you can buy various TracFone compatible phones from the market and use them with TracFone for your communication needs. The following are some of the phones you can get from TracFone.
- Tracfone LG Journey, 32GB
- Samsung Galaxy A21s
- Tracfone Samsung Galaxy A01
- Tracfone Samsung Galaxy A10E
- Tracfone Motorola e6
- Tracfone Motorola Moto G7 Optimo MAXX
Bottom line
Tracfone Wireless is among the United States Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). The carrier runs on the major telecommunication companies such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. You can join the carrier online when you submit your application. You can get rewards from the company when joining by performing various simple tasks. TracFone participates in the Emergency Broadband Benefit, whereby you can apply online.