Free cell phones and minutes for low-income households in Brevard County

Miami-based TracFone Wireless Inc. is offering free cell phones and minutes to nearly 55,000 low-income households in Brevard County as part of a statewide initiative.

TracFone's plan, called SafeLink Wireless, provides eligible households a free cell phone, mobile access to emergency services and 68 free minutes of airtime every month for one year. The company's program has the endorsement of the Florida Public Service Commission.
According to a recent study by visiting Massachusetts Institute of Technology scholar Nicholas Sullivan, 40 percent of people in blue-collar jobs said their cell phone has provided the opportunity to gain employment or make money.
"Our study showed cell phones can significantly boost the earning potential of these communities, and this connectivity vastly encourages their opportunities and remains central to their everyday survival," Sullivan said.
Florida is the second state where TracFone has introduced SafeLink, said Jose Fuentes, director of government relations for TracFone Wireless. It introduced the same program in Tennessee in August. The Florida program was unveiled Oct. 20.
"Since we launched the program in Florida, the response has been overwhelming," Fuentes said, though he declined to disclose the number of phones distributed so far.
More than 1 million Florida households are eligible for the program.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, about 7.1 million households do not have telephones nationally and more than 13 percent with an income under $10,000 do not have telephone service.
TracFone is working through Florida's Lifeline program, which helps low-income Floridians get and maintain telephone service.
TracFone expects some users to no longer qualify for free services under poverty guidelines after one year, but some will sign on as paying customers, Fuentes said.