Article Written By: Tiffany Anderson
When you run into financial constraints, there are many things that you are not able to afford. Sure, you may be able to put food in your stomach, and get a roof over your head. But you might not be able to get a phone and meet the recurring expenses that come with it. A phone is absolutely necessary in the world of today, as communication is highly emphasized in developing a better world. So if you are unable to afford a cell phone, are you supposed to let that pass? Not really. The government has this program that makes communication possible for all. How? By giving out free phones!A free phone is something almost everybody would gladly enroll for, but that is not how it works. Clearly, this would put an unbearable weight on the government, and that is why there are qualifications that need to be met for someone to be confirmed as eligible. These qualifications have to do with ones income standing, or their dependency on aid programs such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, and SSI among others. The application hardly takes time, and as soon as you are approved, a phone is sent to your door step. You need to divulge a valid mailing address that is yours. You cannot use your post office box as that is usually turned down.Government cell phones are highly unsophisticated- a necessary feature to guarantee their availability to the masses. The assumption is if the phones were high end, most people would want to get their hands on them. Besides, this would mean inflating the budget for them, and this is not. When you want better features, you can embark on buying a phone, as the government wont likely provide these in the future.Government phones are free in every sense of the word. That in other words means that there will be no contracts to sign, no monthly bills, and no fees to expect. You simply get a phone with preloaded minutes, and enjoy being connected to your close acquaintances. You dont get a lot of minutes though, since most of the time you get two hours of talk time per month, give or take. This suggests that only important calls should be made.Government phones come with their own set of rules. For instance, if you find yourself beyond the qualifying criteria, you are supposed to withdraw from the program. You might be able to enjoy the free minutes for a while, but you will not be re-qualified once the verification time comes. The only benefit you miss out on when you are no longer in the program is the free minutes. You keep the phone, and use it at your discretion.
This Article Has Been Published on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 and Read 449 Times