Upward Mobile Affordable Connectivity Plans

Upward Mobile is another wireless carrier that participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program. Because they participate in the ACP, they can offer free internet service and a free internet device to qualified low-income families/individuals.

The Affordable Connectivity Program provides a $30 monthly discount to cover the expense of internet services. For families living on qualified Tribal Lands, the monthly discount goes up to $75. The discount can be applied to any of the following Upward Mobile pans:

6 GB High-speed Data

Throttled – up to 10 GB
No Hotspot
Cost: $30

20 GB High-Speed Data

Throttled – up to 25 GB
Hotspot
Cost: $50

ACP Tribal Plan

High-Speed Data 30 GB
Throttled – up to 35 GB
No Hotspot
Cost: $75

High-Speed Data 50 GB

Throttled – up to 60 GB
Hotspot
Cost: $120

If you sign up with Upward Mobile, make sure to clarify the throttling. The wording on their website isn’t totally clear.

Upward Mobile States of Operation

Upward Mobile provides service in the following states:

California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and West Virginia

Please Note: Upward Mobile does not list the states in which it does business on its website. To come up with the above listing of states, I entered a zip code for each state and US territory. For those zip codes where they do not service I got the following message:

As you can see, the message is Zip Code specific. There’s a possibility that they offer services in your zip code even if your state is not listed above. The only way to find out for sure is to apply.

Qualifying for the Affordable Connectivity Program

To qualify for the program and discounts, you must satisfy the eligibility criteria. To do so, you must meet at least one of the following:

You or someone in your household receives benefits from one of the following government assistance programs:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Medicaid
Lifeline
Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
Supplemental Security Income
Received a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year
Federal Public Housing Assistance
Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program

Additional Programs Tribal Assistance Programs

Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
Head Start
Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)

having a household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines

Document Poof of Participation

Before heading over to getinternet.gov to sign up for benefits, make sure to gather the proper documentation. You’ll need to prove that you meet the necessary criteria. You’ll also need documents that prove your date of birth, Social Security or Tribal ID number, address, and proof that you are alive. Visit the Documents Needed page of the USAC website for acceptable forms of proof. Or you can download the ACP Acceptable Documentation Guide.

Signing up for Benefits

Now that you have the necessary documents go to getinernet.gov to apply online. Or if applying online isn’t an option. Download the Affordable Connectivity Program Application Form, complete it, and mail it along with the necessary documentation to:

USAC
ACP Support Center
PO Box 9100
Wilkes-Barre, PA. 18773

If you have any questions, call them at 1 (877) 384-2575. They’re open 7 days a week from 9 am to 9 pm.

Applying for Upward Mobile Service

Once your ACP benefits are approved, head to the Upward Mobile website and select “Apply Online.”

Better Business Profile

Upward Mobile LLC, located in Cincinnati, OH, opened its BBB file in June 2017. As of this writing, Upward Mobile does not have a BBB rating. It also doesn’t have any filed complaints. However, the website listed on the BBB site leads to an expired domain, so I’m not sure how frequently the Better Business Bureau updates its profiles.

Things to Know

You are responsible for the balance if you select a plan that exceeds the monthly ACP discount.

Only one ACP benefit per household

To maintain your benefits, you must recertify annually to prove you still meet the eligibility criteria.

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: 27 September 2023