North American Local Lifeline Plans

North American Local appears to be another wireless company offering Lifeline phone benefits. Their website doesn’t mention states of operation and they did not respond to my query when I asked. I believe they offer services in the state of Michigan. After doing a little Internet research I found that in March of 2018, North American Local filed an application to become an eligible Lifeline telecommunications carrier in Michigan.

Their lack of response to my query makes me wonder about how responsive they are to their customers. Whether or not their lack of response was a fluke, I’ll outline the Lifeline services they offer.

North American Local Lifeline Benefits

Eligible low-income individuals can receive a free smartphone along with monthly voice minutes, SMS texting, and data. The Lifeline program is a no-contract, no-credit-check phone service. The plans vary depending on whether you’re eligible for Tribal or Non Tribal plans.

For example, the Choice Mobile plan is a Non-Tribal plan that includes a free smartphone, 1,000 voice minutes, and 500 SMS text messages. The monthly retail price is $5.25, but the Lifeline discount of $5.25 brings the price down to $0.

For those on eligible Tribal Lands, Choice Mobile Unlimited offers a free smartphone, unlimited voice minutes, and unlimited SMS text messages. The retail price is $30.25, but with the Tribal Lifeline discount, the monthly cost is $0.

North American Local Plans with Data

Currently, North American Local offers four unlimited plans (unlimited voice and unlimited SMS text) with varying amounts of data as follows:

1GB - Retail price: $45.25 Tribal Lifeline Price: $15
3GB - Retail Price: $55.25 Tribal Lifeline Price: $25
5GB - Retail Price: $69.25 Tribal Lifeline Price: $35
10GB - Retail Price: $89.25 Tribal Lifeline Price: $55

Landline Services

North American Local also offers landline services also. There’s the Choice Home Phone Plan which includes unlimited local and unlimited long-distance and the Choice Home Internet Plan which offers 4.5GB of data

The cost for either plan retails for $59.25 per month, but with the Tribal Lifeline Discount, the price is reduced to $25 per month.

If you purchase both services the retail price is $109.25 per month, but is reduced to $75 per month with the Tribal Lifeline Discount

All plans come with Free Service Guard (if applicable). It protects you from losing your service if you don’t use it for 45 days. The cost is $.50. Once you start using your service again, your monthly payment will revert to the plan you had before the 45-day non-use.

How to Qualify for North American Local Lifeline Plan

To qualify for these plans, you must either have a household income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participate in one of the following government assistance programs:

Federal Programs

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (Food Stamps)
• Medicaid
• Federal Housing Assistance (FPHA)
• Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit

Tribal Programs

• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying
standard)

If you meet the eligibility criteria, the next step is to gather the necessary documentation to prove your eligibility. You can find acceptable forms of proof by visiting the USAC website.

How to Apply for Service

Apply for Lifeline by going to the National Verifier. Complete the application, upload the necessary documents, and get approved. Once approved, you can call North American Local at 1-888-247-3903 to sign up for service. Although their website has a “Sign Up Now” box, at the time of this writing, it did not work.

Things to Note:

• Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household


• You must recertify your eligibility annually


• If you don’t use your cell service at least once every 30 days, you run the risk of being de-enrolled from the Lifeline program.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This site was created to help people find information about free government phones. The ower of this site does not mail, activate or repair free government phones nor provide phone service. If you have questions about phone service it is suggested that you contact the phone service provider directly.

Last Modified: 17 January 2023