Cell Phones for All

Most people take having a cell phone for granted. And despite their relatively significant monthly fees, they’ve become a common necessity. Fortunately, for those who can’t afford one, there’s Lifeline. The FCC created the needs-based service back in 1984 to ensure all Americans access to telephone service in case of emergencies. Then in 1996, the Telecommunications Act opened the market to wireless providers.

Major carriers like Sprint and AT&T have taken an interest. This comes not out of the goodness of their free-enterprise hearts, but of government subsidies. According to the New York Times, carriers can receive up to $10 a month for what amounts to about $3 of service. The leading partner in providing phones to the needy is Tracfone. The company’s pilot program started in Tennessee last August and now has a presence in 16 states.

Wireless providers are mainly out to secure paying customers ­— the needy are the final frontier in the land of untapped cell phone owners. In the meantime however, they’re helping people like John Cobb.

A cell phone isn’t exactly in the budget for the retired fisherman. Cobb lives on a fixed income and suffers from cirrhosis of the liver and emphysema. This new plan gives him hope and some much needed relief. He told the Times, “I feel so much safer when I drive. If I get sick, I can call someone. If I break down, I can call someone. It’s a necessity.”