NOTICE: To All Customers of Vermont Telephone Company, Inc.
On May 23, 2013, the Vermont Public Service Board designated Vermont Telephone Company, Inc. (VTel) the “Eligible Telecommunications Carrier” for its service area for universal service purposes. The goal of universal service is to provide all citizens access to essential telecommunications services.
VTel provides voice grade access to the public switched network single party residential and business services for rates beginning at $24.95 per month for residential customers and $30.95 per month for business customers. This includes a minimum of 30 minutes local usage as well as access to emergency services and toll blocking.
Use of these services may result in added charges. VTel would be pleased to provide you with specific rates for your area upon request.
VTel proudly offers the federal Lifeline discount to eligible customers. This federal program, administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), can lower your monthly basic phone or internet bills.
Please note that eligibility is determined by USAC, not VTel. If you qualify, are approved and successfully enroll, you will receive a monthly service discount as well as free toll blocking.
FAQ
Lifeline is a public, federal program created and overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to make communications services more affordable. While it is funded and regulated by the government, the actual phone and internet discounts are delivered to eligible low-income households through participating private telecommunications companies. Therefore, it is a public assistance initiative that operates through a partnership with the private sector.
Applicants can qualify in two main ways: by income (having a household income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines) or by participating in federal assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance, or Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit. Special extended criteria also exist for survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking.
Federal rules strictly limit the Lifeline benefit to one discount per household, not per person. A “household” is defined as anyone living at the same address who shares income and expenses. A household can choose to apply the single discount to either a cell phone, a home landline, or a home internet connection—but they cannot split it or get multiples.
View Lifeline’s Official FAQ page here: lifelinesupport.org/faqs
