Millions of low-income Americans, including those receiving unemployment benefits amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will be eligible for a free smartphone in addition to free cellular services through a new government partnership with TruConnect, the nation's wireless service provider.
TruConnect is partnering with Lifeline, a government program to offer affordable wireless services to low-income customers, launched by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Most Americans are unaware of the program, according to TruConnect co-founder and CEO Matthew Johnson.
Free TruConnect service includes “Conversations, text messages and 3 GB of data every month, plus free international calls to selected countries. You can even qualify for a free 5-inch LTE Android smartphone, ”the company's website says.
Johnson told the California-based KTLA: «Currently, roughly 30 to 40 million people do not have high-speed internet access, and this has only recently increased due to COVID-19-related issues.»
