Nearly 4,000 Watauga County residents may be eligible for a free cellular phone and free minutes of air time in a “lifeline” effort to help provide emergency services.

TracFone Wireless, Inc. is launching SafeLink Wireless in 47 North Carolina counties to help low-income people, the homebound or the elderly. SafeLink Wireless will serve as the company’s distribution of Lifeline, a U.S. government-supported to provide telephone service that’s available and affordable for eligible low income households.  

 The SafeLink Wireless service will provide eligible households a free cell phone, mobile access to emergency services and free 68 minutes of air time, monthly, for one year.  The cell phone offers in-demand features like voicemail, text, call waiting, international calling to over 60 countries and caller ID.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Lifeline program in 1984 and updated the service after the crises of Hurricanes Katrina and Ike and the 9/11 attacks. The program is funded in part from the Universal Service charge that billed to cell phone users.

According to Tracfone, 3,790 Watauga residents may be eligible to receive the free phone and minutes of air time, and 448,000 in North Carolina may be eligible. Eligibility is based on those receiving federal public housing assistance, food stamps, low-income energy assistance, supplemental social security payments, temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) payments and Medicaid crisis-intervention in the Work First program.

Those using up their 68 minutes of free air time can purchase additional minute and use the program for up to a year, at which time eligibility is reviewed.

For more information, including eligibility requirements, call 1-800-723-3546 or visit www.safelink.com.