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Lifeline & ACP carriers — at a glance
Every carrier listed here is approved by USAC to issue Lifeline-supported wireless service. Compare networks, monthly data allowances, free phones offered, and the U.S. states each one actively serves.
| Carrier | Underlying Network | Monthly Data | Talk / Text | States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SafeLink Wireless TracFone Wireless (Verizon) |
Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T (multi-carrier) | 25 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 37 | Open guide |
| Assurance Wireless T-Mobile US |
T-Mobile | 25 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 49 | Open guide |
| Q Link Wireless Q Link Wireless LLC |
T-Mobile | 20 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 49 | Open guide |
| TruConnect TruConnect Communications |
T-Mobile | 14 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 31 | Open guide |
| Access Wireless i-wireless LLC |
T-Mobile | 15 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 31 | Open guide |
| StandUp Wireless AR Designs / Maxsip |
AT&T, T-Mobile (multi-carrier) | 14 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 35 | Open guide |
| Cintex Wireless KonaTel |
T-Mobile | 10 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 28 | Open guide |
| Life Wireless Telrite Holdings |
T-Mobile | 8 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 27 | Open guide |
| enTouch Wireless Boomerang Wireless |
T-Mobile | 6 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 19 | Open guide |
| AirTalk Wireless HTH Communications |
T-Mobile, Verizon | 25 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 31 | Open guide |
| easyWireless Easy Telcom |
T-Mobile | 10 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 29 | Open guide |
| Tag Mobile Tag Mobile LLC |
T-Mobile | 5 GB | Unlimited / Unlimited | 20 | Open guide |
How to pick a Lifeline carrier
The federal Lifeline benefit is portable — you can take it to whichever USAC-approved carrier you want, and you can switch carriers at any time. That makes the choice less about price (the monthly cost is $0 with virtually every Lifeline carrier) and more about three practical factors:
- Coverage. A free plan is only useful if you have signal where you live and work. The carrier table above shows which underlying network each provider uses; if Verizon barely reaches your home but T-Mobile is strong, you’ll want a T-Mobile-network carrier such as Assurance Wireless, Q Link or TruConnect rather than SafeLink on Verizon.
- Free phone. Most Lifeline carriers ship a free Android handset to first-time enrollees, but the model varies. Some carriers like AirTalk Wireless will let you pay a small co-pay to upgrade to a refurbished iPhone or a higher-end Galaxy.
- Customer service. Bilingual support, email turnaround, and the ability to recertify online vary widely between providers. We note these where they matter on the per-carrier guides.
If you’re not sure where to start, open the guide for your state and pick from the carriers we list there — every one of them has been verified as actively enrolling residents in that state during the most recent USAC update cycle.