Based on the statistics of 2012, New Mexico has a 6.5 percent unemployment rate, whereas the overall national poverty or unemployment rate in the USA was about 7.8 percent, which is pretty desirable. Therefore, you may not find many free government phone New Mexico providers. Yet, it has a considerable number of citizens who have tough times managing better & stable communication.
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern part of the United States of America, and it has a total population of about 2.09 million. Free government cell phone services are also available in New Mexico, which is offered by the Federal government and the state government of the USA. To get a New Mexico cell phone service free of cost, you need specific required qualifications.
Lifeline phone New Mexico providers are not so prevalent as the unemployment rate of this state is less than the national average. Thus, fewer providers are offering free phones in NM compared to other states with greater poverty levels. Following, I will cover the overall details and the best new Mexico free government phones providers. So, let’s get started!
How To Get Free Government Phone New Mexico
To get a free government phone in New Mexico, participants need to qualify for the Government Programs(Lifeline/EBB/ACP), which they use for eligibility. Therefore, you need to submit a National Verifier application, and they will send an approval after verifying your data. Then, you can get into your NM free government phones program through the selected provider.
Qualifying Requirements: As this service is unavailable in all the states, based on your area, you need to go through distinct application procedures. But broadly, some qualifying requirements are pretty identical for all the states.
Here, we will discuss these prerequisites. You can primarily qualify with your income status. If you are getting benefits for any federal programs, you can also be eligible.
Required Programs: You can apply for the Lifeline aid program either by your annual income or by participating in FCC programs. Here are the Federally approved programs, which you can use as proof to qualify for the New Mexico Lifeline program.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)
- Medicaid or Federal Medical Assistance Scheme
- Supplemental Security Income or SSI
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
- TANF or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Free Programs of the School Lunch Scheme
- Section eight or known as Federal Public Housing Assistance Project
- If you receive the Federal Pell Grant Award in the running award season
Income Requirements: If you cannot show any programs to qualify for the Lifeline program, there are alternative options regarding your annual income status. Therefore, you need to prove to have a yearly household earning underneath the Federal Poverty Guideline.
Your yearly earnings need to be at or underneath 135 to 150 percent of the FPG. But for the ACP program, your income needs to be 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Here is a table representing the income levels based on the programs!
| Person Per Household | Lifeline(135%) | Affordable Connectivity Program(200%) |
| 01 | 0 to 18346 dollars | 0 to 25760 dollars |
| 02 | 0 to 24718 dollars | 0 to 34840 dollars |
| 03 | 0 to 31090 dollars | 0 to 43920 dollars |
| 04 | 0 to 37462 dollars | 0 to 53000 dollars |
| 05 | 0 to 43834 dollars | 0 to 62080 dollars |
| 06 | 0 to 52207 dollars | 0 to 71160 dollars |
| 07 | 0 to 56578 dollars | 0 to 80240 dollars |
| 08 | 0 to 62950 dollars | 0 to 89320 dollars |
If there are more than eight 8 people in your household, you need to add 9,080 dollars for each additional person. For example, if you have a household of 9 people, the Yearly Income allowed is almost 0 to 98,400 dollars (89,320 dollars + 9,080 dollars) for ACP and 0 to 69,322 dollars (62,950 dollars + 6,372 dollars) for the Lifeline program.
Top 5 (Provider) Free Government Phone New Mexico In 2022
We have put in the best five providers that give free government phone New Mexico services in the subsequent directory. To chart up the providers, we have looked at the benefit terms, limitations, and grants for each New Mexico government phone. Moreover, trustworthiness and consumer satisfaction are significant aspects that we have evaluated to comprise the list.
1. Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless is one of the leading cellular providers which is partnered with the Federal Government Lifeline and ACP Program. They come with the most generous plan, the Assurance Wireless Unlimited. With this plan, you can get a free Android smartphone, free unlimited data perks, unrestricted text messages, and free unlimited Talktime minutes, along with a free mobile hotspot.
If you have the qualified requirements, you can get a chance to use the combined benefits of both Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The ACP scheme is a successor of the EBB program, a US Federal Government program for low-income individuals. Under the free monthly hotspot service, you can get up to 10 Gigabytes of 4G LTE data.
Features
- Get access to the fastest network coverages of Mobile cellular without any annual contracts
- Provides unlimited voice minutes, text messages, and unlimited data at higher speeds for the eligibles
- You can enjoy low international rates to more than 200 countries under their free plan
- Gives additional protection services like- Caller ID, Multiple Layer Scam protection, Scam ID detection, etc.
- Get access to the 911 emergency number and up to 10 GB of high-speed 4G LTE hotspot for mobile tethering.
Assurance Wireless runs its free phone services in New Mexico under the fastest T-Mobile network. In busy hours, heavy users with a consumption of over 35 GB per month may notice reduced speed in their data services. All their federal cellular assistance service programs come with no annual contracts. You can use the Lifeline services for 60 days in pay-as-you-go mode after service termination.
2. My Cellular One
My cellular One is also a minimal Lifeline service participant, which operates under the Verizon Network. Therefore, you can stay assured of getting the best CDMA, 4G LTE, and 5G coverages based on your areas without any interruptions. Cellular One offers both the Lifeline and Affordable connectivity programs. Their Lifeline program is defined as Free4Life.
With the Lifeline and ACP programs blended, you can get more fabulous perks from Cellular One. The qualifying criteria of Cellular One Lifeline and ACP are almost similar to the other providers or the federal Lifeline prerequisites. You consider your annual household income below 135% of the FPL. However, they approve Federal assistance programs like Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, etc.
Features
- Providers a maximum of 5 Gigabyte LTE data with unlimited nationwide voice minutes and text messages FREE
- Unlike other cellular providers, you can get Facebook usage benefits without any restrictions
- They provide free smartphones from the best brands like Alcatel, BLU, LG, Motorola, etc.
- With their ACP plan, you can get free shareable data with Unlimited Talk & Text for a limited time frame
- You can get up to 30 dollars discounts on your cellular bills, and the discount is raised to 75 dollars for tribal lands
For each ACP subscriber of Cellular One, they provide a McDonald’s free gift card with activation for a limited time. You should note that their tribal Lifeline service is only available in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The free McDonald’s gift card includes a 5 dollars bonus for further usage when adding a new data line. Their Non-tribal ACP benefit now includes up to 12 Gigabyte hotspot data.
3. SafeLink Wireless
SafeLink Wireless is a Federal Lifeline service provider in more than 40 states of the USA, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. All their coverage states include free cell phones with other complementary cellular perks.
If you are looking for a Lifeline provider in New Mexico for increased benefits at fewer hassles, Safelink is the best. Compared to other Lifeline and ACP benefit providers, Safelink Wireless offers up to 20 GB more data.
Features
- Receive up to 25 Gigabytes of High-speed LTE data in New Mexico
- Offers a maximum of 5 GB mobile hotspot tethering access for the eligibles
- Get unlimited talking and texting benefits across the United States for free
- Includes overseas calling benefits to Canada & Mexico without any charge
- You can get a free Govt Android smartphone from the latest cellular brands
The aforementioned perks may vary from state to state, based on the network availability. SafeLink Wireless also offers dedicated plans for the residents of California with more excellent benefits.
4. StandUp Wireless
Stand Up Wireless offer reliable cellular services free of cost under the Lifeline and ACP Benefits programs. Therefore, you can also save up to 40 dollars per month if you bundle the Lifeline and ACP altogether.
Applying to Stand Up Wireless is easy, and you can qualify with the National Verifier. Their lifeline program includes a free smartphone from the latest brands, and if you go for the ACP program, you can get an excellent tablet.
Features
- Primarily offers up to 10 Gigabyte of high speed 5G & 4G LTE data, and you can get unlimited Additional Data
- Offers unlimited nationwide calling and unrestricted text messaging across the United States
- Provides both the Lifeline Affordable Connectivity Program benefits and free cell phones and tablets
- Get access to the fastest network coverages of Mobile cellular without any annual contracts
- Easily qualify with Federal programs like Medicaid, SNAP, Supplemental Security Income, veterans Pension, etc.
The tablet program is offered for a limited time, and you can grab one at just 10.01 dollars upon qualification with the required prerequisites. If you require a phone for your Lifeline services, you can buy one from StandUp Wireless.
5. Life Wireless
Life Wireless offers the Federal government Lifeline and ACP program benefits based in Chicago, Illinois. The lifeline plan comes with 500 minutes, unlimited text messages, and up to 4.5 Gigabytes of high-speed data. They take no roaming charges for long-distance calls and offer affordable recharge plans.
The ACP plan offers unlimited messages, voice minutes, and a maximum of 6 Gigabyte LTE data. Life Wireless blended Lifeline & ACP plan offers unlimited messages, voice minutes, and LTE data at no monthly charges or one-time fees. They offer BYOP plans for smartphones like other LIfeline providers.
Features
- Offers unlimited nationwide calling and unrestricted text messaging across the United States
- You can enjoy low international rates to more than 200 countries under their free program
- It gives additional protection services like- Caller ID, Multiple Layer Scam protection, Scam ID detection, etc
- No roaming charges, No charge for domestic long distance calls, and offers Affordable Recharge Plans
- Get access to the 911 emergency number and up to 10 GB of high speed 4G LTE hotspot for mobile usage
Life Wireless Lifeline plan is restricted to one per household and cannot be attached with any additional Lifeline benefits. Suppose 30 seniors or roommates living in an attached house are 30 households, and they can enjoy one Lifeline benefit each, 30 total benefits.
FAQ About Free Government Phone New Mexico
How do I get a free phone in New Mexico?
You can get a free government phone in New Mexico if your income status remains between 150 to 200% of the FPG. Besides, if you receive benefits from Federal government programs like Medicaid, MediCal, SNAP, or SSI, you can immediately get permission for their free program.
What benefits come with a free government smartphone?
In the Lifeline or ACP program, with a free government smartphone, one can get the followings-
Free unlimited nationwide voice minutes
Unlimited messages without any costs
Up to 15 Gigabytes of high-speed 4G data
A maximum of 10 GigaByte mobile hotspot access
Do I qualify for a free government phone?
You can get qualified for a free government phone in two ways. First of all, you can use your annual household income level, which is under 150 to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Secondly, you can show your participation in any Federal aid program for eligibility.
Final Verdict
Now you know how to get a free government phone in New Mexico in 2022. Since the Federal benefit providers are less frequent in NM, you may notice the absence of the Lifeline in a few providers. But, it is evident that you can get ACP benefits from the providers mentioned above.
