Programa de Descuento para Internet (ACP)

JRC wrote:

Sorry JRC, I did not mean to ' quote' you, this is my first time using this forum.  I did file a complaint via the link to FCC you provided, I am sorry you got all the hate. 

I just wanted to tell you: 

Thanks for this info, I really hope everybody here does file a complaint with the link you provided.  It was quick and easy and if enough T Mobile customers file complaints T Mobile will have to rethink it's decision to turf people to Metro.  KIF, T Mobile customer

Richardcranium88 wrote:

Why is it T-mobile does not honor this program, Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)? It is not as if they would be losing money, they stand to lose a customer over this presently, and that would be me.

 

They are required by Federal law to honor it. Keep on them. This of course will not stop their Reps and Managers from lying to you and say they applied when in fact they didn't. I spent an hour on the phone with someone who said they got a Manager to approve it only to find out on my next bill they never did it. I'm currently arguing with them about it. I'm eligible and switching carriers. 

 

JRC wrote:

Please file an FCC complaint;

It states on the FCC website that the program protects consumers by:

https://www.fcc.gov/acp

"Preventing consumers from being forced into more expensive or lower quality plans in order to receive the ACP;"

And forcing Magenta and Magenta Max plan holders to switch to Metro is most certainly a lower quality plan, with deprioritized data and speed throttling.

https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us

 

 

That's not what its saying tho... its saying that you can't be forced to switch to a different plan FROM THE SAME PROVIDER. 

But having to switch providers in order to use the benefit because you're current one doesn't participate is totally legal

It's just like having a coupon for one retailer and complaining a totally different store wont take jt

JRC wrote:

Please file an FCC complaint;

It states on the FCC website that the program protects consumers by:

https://www.fcc.gov/acp

"Preventing consumers from being forced into more expensive or lower quality plans in order to receive the ACP;"

And forcing Magenta and Magenta Max plan holders to switch to Metro is most certainly a lower quality plan, with deprioritized data and speed throttling.

https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us

 

 

DONE!

I have home internet through T mobile. So basically I can't join the program because I'm not with Metro? It took a long time to even get wifi because I live in a small town with very few providers. Although the wifi rarely gives us issues, sometimes it's hard to pay and then I get slapped with a disconnect charge the very day. I just wish there was another way because my children and I all use the wifi for school and we definitely qualify for the program that T mobile seems to be refusing to be part off.

The best way to use your ACP and Lifeline benefits if you're eligible for both is the first see if you can find all the companies which offer home internet in your area. Some have their own discounted home internet plans $10 to $20 a month without requiring you to apply your ACP or lifeline benefit. If you must apply your ACP or Lifeline benefit to help pay for your home internet there are 20 companies at least across the Nation and the White House posted an article a couple of years ago which you can find online. They offer a good plan for $30 or less and they accept the ACP benefit which means they are totally free. AT&T access plan. Metro and Cox Communications have a connect to complete plan. And the optimum advantage plan. And the spectrum assist plan. And the Comcast Xfinity Internet Essentials basic or plus plan. The last three can be under $20 per month without using ACP or lifeline. The best one if Comcast covers your area is to sign up for Comcast Xfinity Internet Essentials plan the basic plan is only $10 a month out of pocket. It's enough for two or three people at least. and you have access to free public Wi-Fi hotspots and you can buy a Dell 3110 Chromebook or 3140 Latitude laptop from Dell for only $150 worth twice as much if you are an Internet Essentials customer type Internet Essentials low cost computer into Google search.

But if you use your ACP benefit you will have only your Lifeline benefit to use for a free phone plan and if you use Lifeline by itself most zip codes have at least a couple or three companies which will show up if you search on the USAC site the affordable connectivity program providers near me search. But even if only a couple show up as long as they cover some part of your state you should be able to sign up with them. And any state has at least a few or several companies which will give you a limited monthly plan for free which includes unlimited texting with 4.5 GB of mobile data and $350 up to unlimited minutes of talk free each month. Not many companies give a free phone for Lifeline only plans but Assurance Wireless and Tara com Wireless and SafeLink Wireless and American assistance known also as a m b t or your call Wireless may give a free phone for Lifeline only plans.

If you combine both your ACP and Lifeline benefit together many companies will give you unlimited talk and unlimited texting with unlimited slow data but there are only certain ones which will give you 15 GB of high speed data or more per month for free for ACP plus lifeline. Life Wireless will. M a x s i p Telecom may. Sano connect. Excess telecom. And air talk wireless. I believe Access Wireless which is a branch of Kroger Wireless used to get 15 GB but they now give only 12 gb.

If you are married or if you have minor children then you can count as only one household unfortunately and you can receive only one ACP benefit and only one Lifeline benefit for a total of two benefits. There was confusion when they were telling people only one benefit per household. But even if you are immediate family members if you live together as long as you can claim you don't sure expenses as long as you're over 18 or emancipated or a foster child each of you can receive one ACP benefit and also one Lifeline benefit even a father and son or brother and sister and so on.

But mothers with children are married couples should split their ACP in Lifeline benefits up separately. If you use your ACP benefit by itself many companies will give you unlimited talk and text with unlimited slow data. But only certain several or maybe 10 or more will give you 10 gigabytes of high-speed data or more per month for free for ACP only. I believe SafeLink Wireless and Assurance Wireless used to give 10 GB for ACP only but they may now get more than that. They also give free phones whether you use ACP or Lifeline by itself or combine both benefits. General mobile gives only 7 GB of fast data per month for ACP only with unlimited talk text and slow data and a free phone. If you use your ACP benefit by itself with red pocket mobile or Excess Telecom or tone Communications these companies will give you 15 or 20 GB of high-speed data per month for free for ACP only with unlimited talk and text. Red pocket gives unlimited slow data. Not sure about the other two. If tone Communications doesn't cover your area it has two sister companies called City Communications and c a t h e c t Communications which may or may not give the same data plan.

And then you could use your Lifeline benefit by itself to get a second free monthly plan which is limited with 4 and 1/2 GB of mobile data plus unlimited texting plus 350 up to unlimited minutes free each month with many different companies. But if you want a free phone if you're using your Lifeline benefit by itself try Assurance Wireless or Tara come Wireless or SafeLink Wireless or American assistance.

PCS REFURBISHED AND 3R TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTALL AKA INTERCONNECTION offer refurbished laptops in good condition sometimes as low as $100 or even $50 sometimes worth twice as much. HUMAN-I-T also gives technology access discounts but not quite as much. A company called Chromebooks R Us sales refurbished Chromebooks as low as $40 and you don't need to be low income eligible.

But before you use your ACP benefit to pay for your home internet which you should be able to find at least one or two companies in most areas which will give you a good home internet plan totally free for your ACP benefit if you must do that or if you're going to use it combine with your Lifeline benefit for one free phone plan with over 20 gigabytes of high speed data or if you're going to split it up and get two different free phone plans using ACP by yourself to get 10 to 20 GB of high speed data and use Lifeline by itself for a free limited plan…

First use your ACP benefit to get a discounted tablet. Most companies don't give much high-speed data for free if they offer a tablet and the ACP benefit so you can transfer your benefit every 31 days. Don't get a tablet from qlink Wireless or true Connect wireless. Please have the best tablets for $10 to $15.…

SARVER WIRELESS AND KANSAS WIRELESS AND UNITY WIRELESS AND AIRTALK WIRELESS AND ROGUE MOBILE AND STAND UP WIRELESS ALSO KNOWN AS GLOBAL CONNECTION.