22 DRN TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS
Telephone Assistance Program (Lifeline)
Every person in America should have access to quality affordable
telecommunications service. This principle of “Universal Service” has
been the goal of the telecommunications industry for decades. DRN
offers a home telephone assistance program adopted by the North
Dakota Public Service Commission. This program, referred to as
Lifeline, helps eligible people pay a portion of their telephone costs.
Lifeline applies only to primary local telephone service in your
home. It can save you at least $9.25 on your monthly phone bill.
An individual is eligible if he or she participates in one of the
following programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF), Food Stamps, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, National School
Lunch free lunch program, Federal Public Housing Assistance. In
addition, a consumer may be eligible if his or her household income
is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
Anyone wishing to participate in Lifeline is required to sign a certifi-
cate indicating, under oath, that they qualify to participate because
they meet at least one of the program eligibility requirements.
The offices that administer a program under which you are eligible
may automatically send you a Qualifying Certificate in the mail. If
you receive this certificate please present it to DRN to help clarify
which program you qualify for.
For more information, please contact a DRN Customer Care Rep-
resentative at 344-5000. You can also write DRN at PO Box 69,
Ellendale, ND 58436 or email
.
