Lifeline-eligible and EBB-eligible households can get free monthly mobile phone service with unlimited data, talk, texts, and 10 GB of hotspot data, plus a free Lifeline smartphone. EBB-eligible households may also get a one-time discount of up to $100 on a connected device, such as a tablet. In this article, you will find out all there is to know about Assurance Wireless.
In Which States Does Assurance Provide Wireless Phone Service?
Assurance Wireless is a nationwide Lifeline provider. The company offers its Lifeline and temporary EBB services all over the country. Assurance Wireless provides wireless phone service in 42 U.S. states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Assurance Lifeline and EBB Free Phone Service
As mentioned before, Assurance Wireless is both a Lifeline and an Emergency Broadband Benefit provider. Lifeline is a permanent government assistance program by the FCC designed to help make communication services more affordable for low-income customers. Lifeline providers offer discounts on monthly cell phone service and some of them even offer free smartphones for eligible low-income households. Emergency Broadband Benefit or EBB, on the other hand, is a temporary government assistance program by the FCC designed to help households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. EBB providers offer either free tablet or mobile or fixed service and also discounts on broadband internet service.
How to Qualify
To qualify for the Assurance Lifeline program or the Assurance EBB program, you must be eligible. To be Lifeline-eligible you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Income-based eligibility:
A household has a gross annual household income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Program-based eligibility:
A household member participates in one or more of the assistance programs listed below:
LifelineMedicaidSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)Supplemental Security Income (SSI)Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)Veterans and Survivors Pension BenefitBureau of Indian Affairs General AssistanceTribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)Tribal Head StartFood Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
To be EBB-eligible you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Income-based eligibility:
A household has a gross annual household income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Consumers can also participate in EBB if their household has experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020. Households that experienced a job loss or furlough and reported a 2020 household income at or less than $99,000 for single filers or $198,000 for joint filers are eligible to participate. You may also qualify if you meet the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
Program-based eligibility:
A household member participates in one or more of the assistance programs listed below:
LifelineMedicaidSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)Supplemental Security Income (SSI)Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)Veterans and Survivors Pension BenefitBureau of Indian Affairs General AssistanceTribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)Tribal Head StartFood Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
A household was approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school year. A household member has received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year.
What Documents Required
Assurance Wireless will try to verify all of your provided information automatically. However, if they fail to do so, they may ask you to provide some documents that will prove your income (such as prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return, current income statement from your employer or a paycheck stub, etc.) or your program participation (such as an approval letter, benefit award letter, statement of benefits, benefit verification letter), depending on your eligibility criteria. You may also be asked to provide an official document verifying your identity, address, and age (such as your passport, state ID, Tribal ID, or another government-issued ID, U.S. Driver’s License, etc.) in case the provider is unable to verify it automatically. As only adults older than 18 years and emancipated minors can participate, emancipated minors must also provide proof of emancipation (such as a certificate or a court document).
How to Apply
To apply for the Assurance Wireless Lifeline program, make sure you are Lifeline-eligible (check eligibility criteria above). Afterward, go to https://www.assurancewireless.com/lifeline-services/how-qualify, scroll down, and press ‘Apply now’. When you do so, a pop-up window will appear asking you to enter your ZIP code in the search box. Do so and you will get your state offer. Then, press ‘Apply Now’ and an online application form will appear. Simply fill out the information, attach any required documents if necessary, and submit your form. Once you submit your application, allow a couple of days for the company to get back at you. To apply for the Assurance Wireless EBB program, make sure you are EBB-eligible (check eligibility criteria above). In case you are EBB-eligible, simply visit https://www.assurancewireless.com/ebb/ebb-benefits and press ‘Apply Now’. You will be redirected to an online application form, where you will be required to provide some personal information and possibly, certain documents that may prove your eligibility. Once you submit your application, allow a couple of days for the company to get back at you.
Assurance Wireless Plans
Assurance Wireless offers a permanent Lifeline plan for eligible low-income households and a temporary EBB plan for qualifying households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assistance Wireless Lifeline plan includes:
Free unlimited textsFree monthly minutesFree monthly dataA free Android smartphone
This plan is only available and free to qualifying low-income households.
Assistance Wireless EBB plan includes:
Free unlimited textsFree unlimited minutesFree unlimited dataFree 10 GB hotspot dataA free Android smartphone
This plan is only available and free to qualifying low-income households. Lifeline-eligible customers can also receive an EBB discount and as the EBB plan offers more benefits, make sure to apply for the EBB program as well.
Does Assurance Wireless Offer Free Tablets?
Assurance Wireless is both a Lifeline and EBB provider and they do offer a discount on connected devices. Different EBB providers offer different connected devices. Assurance Wireless, for example, offers free smartphones for eligible customers. While they may offer EBB free tablets in the future, currently, Assurance Wireless doesn’t offer any free government tablets. Instead, they offer free phone service and free smartphones. Nevertheless, there are some other Lifeline providers that offer Government free tablets under the EBB program, such as Q Link Wireless and StandUp Wireless.
Best Free Phones at Assurance Wireless
Both Lifeline and EBB program participants at Assurance Wireless can get a smartphone when they apply for monthly service discounts. This offer depends on phone availability, however, you may receive a basic phone or an Android smartphone. New customers will get an Android smartphone. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Keep in mind that shipping charges may apply. Currently, Assurance Wireless offers several different free phones to qualifying customers, depending on availability. Here are the phone models that are available at Assurance Wireless to eligible customers free of charge:
Alcatel Onetouch CinchANS RapidzAlcatel DawnANS UL40ANS Wiko LifeWiko Life 2Wiko Life 3Coolpad AvailCoolpad BellezaCoolpad HayloCoolpad IlluminaCoolpad Legacy GOCoolpad Legacy SRKyocera JAX S1360Kyocera Hydro ReachL51REVVL4Schok Volt SV55Unimax U673cUnimax U683CLUnimax693ZTE Prestige 2ZTE QuestZTE Quest PlusZTE Tempo X
How to Activate the Assurance Wireless Phone?
If you are new to Assurance Wireless and you just received a free Android smartphone, you can activate the device and your Assurance Wireless phone service by simply following the instructions below:
Step 1: Turn off your phone by pressing and holding the Power Button. Allow hands-free activation to connect the device to the Assurance Wireless network. Then, allow the phone to check for any updates. Once the device does both, it will power off.Step 2: When the phone turns back on, it may ask you to customize it. In this case, you may need to skip the setup screens and complete step 3 first.Step 3: Dial 611 from your Assurance phone and follow the provided instructions which have been prerecorded.Step 4: When asked, enter your Assurance Wireless account PIN. If you don’t know it by heart, you can locate it at the top of your Assurance Wireless approval letter.
Customers who sign up with a representative, on the other hand, will receive help with the activation process.
Rules and Restriction for Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless phone service comes with a set of rules and restrictions. Their rules and restrictions are:
Assurance Wireless phone service is only available to eligible customers who either participate in a qualifying government assistance program or come from a low-income household.Only one Lifeline and/or EBB benefit is allowed per household and the service is non-transferable. You cannot participate in Lifeline or EBB programs from two providers.Separate households that live at the same address are eligible (including nursing homes and homeless shelters). People with temporary addresses can also enroll. If there is more than one household living at one address, you will have to prove it to receive more than one benefit.In case you apply through a local representative and the database shows there is already Lifeline service at your address, the representative will help you in filling out the Lifeline Household Worksheet.The address you provide in your application must be your actual permanent or temporary place of residence.
Assurance Wireless phone service participation is subject to terms and conditions.
Advantage of Assurance Wireless Phone Service
Assurance Wireless phone service also comes with a list of great advantages, which make subscribing to the provider’s services a good idea. The benefits include:
Free monthly phone serviceFree unlimited textsAt least 1000 (Lifeline) or unlimited (EBB) free minutesFree 4.5 GB (Lifeline) or unlimited (EBB) dataFree 10 GB hotspot dataA free smartphoneFree voicemail accountFree Caller IDFree Call WaitingFree 911 accessFree unlimited calls to 211Free calls to customer careThe ability to keep your current home or cell phone number
All of these Assurance Wireless phone service benefits are only available to Lifeline/EBB-eligible customers.
How to Contact Assurance Wireless Customer Service?
You can contact Assurance Wireless customer service by phone at 1-888-321-5880 or by mail. The provider’s address is Assurance Wireless, P.O. Box 5040, Charleston, IL 61920-9907.
Can I Replace Assurance Phone?
Your Assurance Wireless free phone comes with a one-year warranty. As such, if the phone starts malfunctioning, simply call the provider’s customer service at 1-888-321-5880 and they will arrange for a replacement phone.
Can I Upgrade the Assurance free Phone?
Assurance Wireless customers can upgrade their free phone to a new one by paying the difference cost through the phone upgrade or phone swap program.
How Good Is Assurance Wireless?
Some customers complain about ‘inexperienced’ Assurance Wireless customer service, new phones, and tracking number issues. However, as they offer free services for Lifeline/EBB-eligible customers in 42 states and many other benefits, Assurance Wireless is a decent provider.
What Towers Does Assurance Wireless Use?
In the past, Assurance Wireless used Sprint’s network towers. However, since the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint in 2020, Assurance Wireless uses T-Mobile’s nationwide network and towers. T-Mobile has a strong and reliable nationwide 4G LTE signal with fast uploads and downloads. In addition, T-Mobile offers the largest 5G network in the country.
