Torch Wireless - ACP Plans

As a participant of the Federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), Torch Wireless offers discounts to eligible low-income individuals/households. According to their website, they offer Free Internet. However, they do not offer free government phones or devices.

Their program requires that you either bring your own compatible device or purchase a mobile broadband device from them. Their devices have been discounted to $11. Eleven dollars for a device is a good price.

Affordable Connectivity Discount

If you qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program, you may receive a monthly discount of up to $30 to apply towards your Torch internet plan. If you live on qualified Tribal Lands, your monthly discount may go up to $75.

Torch Wireless Internet Plans

Torch Wireless has three internet plans. Each of their plans comes with unlimited minutes, unlimited text messages, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, 3-way calling, and voicemail. You can choose the data amount that best suits your needs from the following plans:

1GB starting at $20 per month
3GB starting at $30 per month or
5GB starting at $40 per month

They also offer a “Stay Active Protection” which is included if applicable. Their site doesn’t fully explain what the Stay Active Protection service is and how it becomes applicable. To find out exactly what that is, it’s best to contact them through their chat or phone number before signing up.

Torch Wireless Top-Ups

You should be aware that unlimited features carry a cap of 4000 minutes. If you need additional minutes, you can purchase a Top-up which is valid for 90 days from the day you purchase it.

If you use all of your data, you can purchase an add-on package that will allow you to use data until the next monthly cycle. Unfortunately, their site does not mention how much the Top-ups cost.

Lifeline Program through Torch Wireless

In their Privacy Policy, Torch Wireless mentions the Lifeline Program. However, there’s no mention of the Lifeline discounts anywhere on the site except in the Privacy Policy. That’s a little odd.

According to the Privacy Policy, Lifeline-eligible individuals/households may receive a reduction of $9.25 on their monthly bill. Those households/individuals living on Tribal lands may receive a discount of $34.25

If you’re interested in Lifeline benefits through Torch Wireless, please read their Privacy Policy.

Torch Wireless Service Area

In searching through their site, I tried to find the listing of states in which Torch Wireless offers service. Unfortunately, such a listing does not currently exist. Instead, I used a zip code listing and inserted one zip code for each US state and territory to determine which states they service. I was given the option to apply for service using zip codes in the following states:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

States Torch Wireless Does Not Currently Service

There were several states where the zip code used received the following message: “Unfortunately your state does not qualify for this offer. Thank you for your time.” Below is a listing of the states/territories Torch does not service:

American Samoa Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virgin Islands

Applying for ACP Benefits

Torch Wireless requires you to have the National Verifier ID to sign up for their services. That means you should apply for your ID before selecting Torch as your ACP provider. To get a national verifier ID, go to the National Verifier site and apply.

Qualifying for Lifeline/ACP

To qualify for either the Lifeline or ACP programs, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Have a household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to qualify for ACP and an income at or below 135% of the Guidelines to qualify for Lifeline.

You or someone in your household participates in one of the following assistance programs:

Lifeline
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Medicaid
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit

Additional programs for households living on Tribal Lands:

Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Tribal Head Start
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

This is not an entire list of programs. For a full list of qualifying programs, visit: https://www.fcc.gov/acp

After you receive your approval and ID from the National Verifier (approval should take about 20 to 30 minutes if you have the proper documentation), you’re all set to sign up with Torch Wireless to start receiving your monthly discounts.

Things to Know

Lost or Stolen: Responsible for all charges until Torch is notified. Once notified, they will suspend service. You have 30 days to reactivate the service.

You must recertify annually to confirm that you’re still eligible for the ACP/Lifeline discounts.

If you are hearing impaired and have difficulty with phone conversations, consider signing up with ClearCaptions. It’s a free government service.

While Lifeline and ACP discounts may be combined, only one of each per household.

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: 28 February 2023