Program Data

This webpage outlines Lifeline program data, including program participation rates, National Verifier (NV) eligibility information, and disbursements.

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Lifeline Participation

USAC relies on the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) to estimate the rate at which Lifeline-eligible households participate in the Lifeline program. The chart below outlines the total number of Lifeline subscribers for the specified time period, the estimated number of households eligible for the Lifeline benefit based on the most recent ACS data available, and Lifeline’s estimated participation rate.

The subscriber count is based on:

  • The number of subscribers enrolled in the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) in NLAD states, and
  • The number of subscribers reported to USAC by NLAD opt-out state administrators (in CA, OR, and TX).

For more details on the methodology used to calculate Lifeline’s participation rate, review the Lifeline Participation Rate Excel file.

State Apr 2023 Subscriber Count 2021 Lifeline Eligible Households Based on ACS Data Estimated 2023 Lifeline Participation Rate
Alabama 105,050 626,087 17%
Alaska  20,719 74,189 28%
Arizona 176,873 809,996 22%
Arkansas 80,740 403,764 20%
California 1,074,827  4,210,478 26%
Colorado 76,647 550,430 14%
Connecticut 65,748 410,540 16%
Delaware 14,304 106,787 13%
District of Columbia 29,664 92,862 32%
Florida 330,806 2,582,596 13%
Georgia 304,167 1,122,972 27%
Hawaii 10,782 141,890 8%
Idaho 13,806 187,454 7%
Illinois 237,969 1,435,178 17%
Indiana 159,661 741,171 22%
Iowa 49,056 335,058 15%
Kansas 29,675 277,429 11%
Kentucky 148,889 632,939 24%
Louisiana 183,516 715,891 26%
Maine 20,481 164,173 12%
Maryland 124,419 616,973 20%
Massachusetts 109,887 844,255 13%
Michigan 287,017 1,237,814 23%
Minnesota 71,712 554,066 13%
Mississippi 105,278 409,975 26%
Missouri 113,652 644,011 18%
Montana 3,205 120,659 3%
Nebraska 6,320 184,254 3%
Nevada 82,799 373,714 22%
New Hampshire 9,175 106,489 9%
New Jersey 135,265 852,852 16%
New Mexico 69,350 330,545 21%
New York 576,484 2,587,384 22%
North Carolina 167,368 1,230,636 14%
North Dakota 7,789 69,433 11%
Ohio 321,994 1,414,205 23%
Oklahoma 154,388 487,439 32%
Oregon 17,025 544,594 3%
Pennsylvania 303,064 1,459,882 21%
Puerto Rico 531,736 812,358 65%
Rhode Island 22,874 139,592 16%
South Carolina 110,179 603,350 18%
South Dakota 6,149 77,737 8%
Tennessee 159,986 828,228 19%
Texas 276,500 3,096,335 9%
Utah 27,066 219,359 12%
Vermont 8,010 78,796 10%
Virginia 132,124 769,141 17%
Washington 117,441 790,034 15%
West Virginia 58,697 267,669 22%
Wisconsin 116,135 629,032 18%
Wyoming  7,787 56,341 1%
Total 7,367,255 38,059,039 19%

Additional Metrics

Download Lifeline’s Data and Statistics Excel file for information on:

  • The total support amount disbursed to Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) versus Competitive Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (CETCs),
  • Historical data on distribution of support, and
  • The percentage of subscribers who qualify through each Lifeline qualifying government assistance program and the percentage of subscribers who qualify through their income.

USAC updates the file twice a year.

Lifeline Subscribership by County by Service Type

In the 2019 Lifeline Order, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) directed USAC to make aggregate subscribership data available, including data at the county level by service type.

Review the Lifeline Subscribers by County by Service Type Excel file for information on the total number of Lifeline subscribers by county and service type.

Census Blocks Eligible for Continued Voice Support

Background

In the 2016 Lifeline Order, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlined a shift in the Lifeline program towards a greater focus on supporting broadband services for Lifeline eligible consumers. This included:

  • A transition period to phase down support for voice-only Lifeline services before reimbursement for such services decreases to $0 on December 1, 2021; and
  • An exception to a complete phase-down allowing for $5.25 in Lifeline reimbursement per subscriber per month beginning December 1, 2020, for qualifying voice-only services provided to Lifeline subscribers in Census blocks where there is only one Lifeline provider.

On November 5, 2021, the Wireline Competition Bureau paused the phase-out of Lifeline support for voice-only services for one year. The basic Lifeline support of $5.25 remains available to eligible consumers who subscribe to voice-only service on and after December 1, 2021.

Impacted Census Blocks

Review these Census blocks, which are eligible for continued voice-only reimbursement as described above, by states, ZIP codes, and Census blocks.

The current list was announced by the FCC in a Public Notice on June 1, 2021. The FCC and USAC anticipate that they will update this file by June 1 of each year.

NV Eligibility Data

Review NV Annual Eligibility Data below:

Review NV Quarterly Eligibility Data below:

Lifeline Disbursement Data

Through Lifeline’s Funding Disbursement tool, users can search for payment data for any month beginning in January 2004. Use Lifeline’s Disbursements Open Data tool to search for the total dollar amount disbursed to each ETC and the total number of subscribers claimed by each ETC, every month and year since January 2018.