Lifeline program may include wireless users

The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control is considering extending the Connecticut Lifeline discount telephone service program to other types of accounts, including wireless.

Lifeline and similar Link Up are run by state agencies nationally to ensure that all Americans can get basic telephone service, providing discounts to consumers who might not otherwise be able to afford service.  According to the Federal Communications Commission, some states already offer wireless telephone discounts under the Lifeline program.

Recent statistics demonstrate that of the 25.7 million households eligible, 8.2 million participate, or roughly a 32 percent national participation rate for 2009.

In Connecticut, AT&T Inc. and predecessor companies have provided the service for a decade. In a docket filing, DPUC noted the increased use of mobile telephone services, as well as competing services offered by Verizon Communications Inc., cable television providers, and Internet voice providers like Vonage.