Access Wireless is an American telecommunication company owned by i-Wireless. i-wireless LLC is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that provides domestic telecommunications services using the Nationwide Sprint Network. Since Sprint merged with T-Mobile, the carrier now uses T-Mobile towers to offer its services. There are various services that you can get from Access Wireless. We shall look at Access Wireless free tablets to know if you can get one or not later on.
The United States government knows about Americans who cannot afford access to affordable internet, voice call minutes, texts, and devices. Therefore, through Congress, it has created various aid programs to help people get cheap communication plans and free or discounted devices such as tablets, phones, and computers. An excellent example of such a program is Lifeline which operates in all the USA states.
During the Covid’19 pandemic, Congress also brought about the Emergency Benefit Program (EBB) to help people affected by the disease access affordable broadband and discounted devices. The program also helped eligible Americans to access affordable healthcare, jobs, and education services. EBB ended in early March 2020, and the Affordable Connectivity Program replaced it with similar services for low-income households.
Access Wireless Free Tablets From Government
We have seen that Access Wireless allows you to get the Lifeline free phone. Also, you can get a free tablet through the newly launched Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) that replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is a government benefit program run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It provides discounts on monthly broadband through various service providers, Access Wireless being one of them. It helps to ensure that eligible households can afford the broadband they require for work, school, healthcare, and much more.
Just like it is with Lifeline, the ACP services are non-transferrable. A qualifying household is limited to a single monthly service discount plus one device discount. Again, only one person per household qualifies for the ACP program.
To know whether you are eligible for ACP, you must use the National Verifier from the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). You can apply the ACP discounts to any available Access Wireless service plans. Therefore, Access Wireless provides eligible households with unlimited voice, texts, and data. The Unlimited data includes a high-speed fixed amount. But how do you get the Affordable Connectivity Program tablet?
The benefit provides the eligible households a discount of up to $30/month for internet service and up to $75 per month for those on qualifying Tribal lands. Qualifying households can also get a one-time discount of up to $100 to buy a laptop, desktop, or tablet from participating service providers. One should contribute more than $10 and at least $50 toward the purchase price to get the discount.
Eligibility For Access Wireless Affordable Connectivity Program
A household qualifies for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the total income is 200% or below the Federal Poverty Guidelines. We also have other ways you can qualify. For example, a household can get a free tablet with Food Stamps or any other aid service upon showing proof. A household may also qualify if a household member meets any of the following.
- Participates in assistance programs, such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline
- Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Tribal TANF, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Received a Federal Pell Grant within the current award year
- Participates in the School Breakfast aid Program or the National School Lunch Program through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision
- Meets the eligibility criteria for Access Wireless’s existing low-income internet program
Services Of Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program plus Lifeline gives you the following services, apart from the free devices.
- Unlimited talk to call your friends and family and stay connected all the time.
- Unlimited text to chat with your friends as well as family members.
- Hotspot data to connect various devices to the internet under one control point.
- Unlimited data (15GB of high speed) to connect online to chat in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc.
Benefits Of Both ACP And Lifeline Program
If you have been a Lifeline beneficiary, you can still get ACP services. You need to apply for the service and produce proof to show that you still qualify to receive government aid. You can choose separate service providers for either service according to your preferences.
Getting both the ACP and Lifeline services allows you to get a free government phone and tablet for your communication needs. The ACP program is temporary, and once it ends, Lifeline beneficiaries will continue to receive their services. That is the same thing that happened with EBB. The beneficiaries of Lifeline that were in EBB continue to use their Lifeline discounts.
Access Wireless Additional Offers
Sometimes you may need more data and minutes for your family member. Even though you can get unlimited minutes and texts with Lifeline and ACP, the services are only available for one line. If any of your family members require an extra bundle, you can still purchase it to assist them in their communication needs.
There are excellent plans that you can get by visiting Kroger Wireless. You can save up to 20% when you sign up for auto-pay. Kroger Wireless is a close associate of Access Wireless. You can follow a few steps to get the right plan for you. Have a look.
- Choose a Phone. You can choose from the company’s wide variety of phones (or bring your own).
- Activate your mobile phone and complete your account setup online.
- Choose the plan that fits your needs.
Access Wireless Network Coverage
Access Wireless coverage in more than 40 states of the United States. However, they provide free phones and plans in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
Final Thought
Being owned by i-Wireless, Access Wireless is an American telecommunication company. This company is among the Lifeline service providers that operate in most countries worldwide. The company also participates in the recently launched Affordable Connectivity Program, whereby you get affordable broadband and discounts to buy various gadgets such as tablets, desktops, or laptops.