Lifeline Service Program

The Federal Communications Commission and the Public Utility Commission of Texas have established Lifeline Service to make telephone service more affordable to eligible customers. Lifeline Service, supported in part by federal universal support mechanisms and the Texas universal service fund, is a program designed to make telephone service available at reduced rates to eligible residential customers.

Services supported by the federal universal service support mechanisms and the Texas universal service fund include: voice grade access to the public switched network or its functional equivalent, minutes of use for local service provided at no additional charge to the customer, access to emergency services (911), and toll limitation to qualifying low-income subscribers.

Totelcom Communications, LLC, offers Lifeline Service at a reduced rate. Information about customers who qualify for Lifeline Service may be shared between state agencies and Totelcom Communications.

Who Qualifies?

An eligible customer shall be defined as an individual whose annual household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines or in whose household resides a person who receives or has a child who receives benefits from at least one of the following programs:

  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) or Section 8
  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  • Health Benefit Coverage under Child Health Plan (CHIP)
  • National School Lunch Program's Free Lunch Program
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

How Do Telephone Customers Apply?

  • Medicaid, SNAP, and SSI recipients:
    If you currently have telephone service, you should automatically receive the Lifeline Service reduction. If you have telephone service and participate in one of the programs listed above, or your annual household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, and you are not receiving the Lifeline Service reduction, please contact the Low-Income Discount Administrator (LIDA) at 1-866-454-8387 (1-866-4-LITE-UP).
  • FPHA and LIHEAP recipients:
    If you have telephone service and participate in one of the programs listed above, or your annual household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, and you are not receiving the Lifeline Service reduction, you need to contact the Low-Income Discount Ad¬¬ministrator (LIDA) at 1-866-454-8387 (1-866-4-LITE-UP) to request a blank self-cer¬ti¬fi¬ca¬tion form for Lifeline Service. Once you receive the form, complete and sign it and mail it back to LIDA. You will see the Lifeline Service reduction in your monthly bill within sixty days.
  • Low-Income Standard:
    If you do not participate in any of the programs listed above and believe your household in¬come is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines and you currently have tele¬phone service, call LIDA at 1-866-454-8387 (1-866-4-LITE-UP) or call us at 254-893-1000 to request a blank self-certification form for Lifeline Service. Once you receive the form, complete and sign it and mail it back to LIDA. You will see the Lifeline Service reduction in your monthly bill within sixty days.
  • Telephone Service Non-Existent:
    A customer who is eligible for the Lifeline Program but does not have telephone service at the time the LIDA provides its eligibility list to the Company, shall be responsible for initiating a request for the Lifeline Program from the Company.

Please call the LIDA at 1-866-454-8387 (1-866-4-LITE-UP) if you have any questions regarding the Lifeline Service, or call our business office at 254-893-1000 during normal business hours or click here to apply online.