A phone is essential to communicate with people around us. Suppose you are a student and want to stay connected with your teachers and classmates, or say you are a jobless person seeking a job, or an elderly person needs help to schedule an appointment with a doctor, nevertheless who you are , or what is your profession, you need a phone to communicate with others. And it is also true that you may be a low income person and cannot afford and maintain a phone yourself. Now, like blessings from the Government, Torch Wireless comes forward to provide you with a phone for absolutely free of cost. If you take part in a certain Government Assistance Program, then you are also eligible. I think it’s a golden opportunity for you to get a free phone from Torch Wireless. If you are eligible, don’t delay, apply now.
Requirements To Apply For A Free Government Phone From Torch Wireless Under The ACP Program
To get a free phone from the Government, you have to meet some eligibility criteria and submit proof of your eligibility. In the upcoming section, I discuss the eligibility requirements and needed documents to get a free phone from Torch Wireless.
Eligibility Requirements To Get A Free Phone From The Government.
- Income Based Eligibility: If your or your household’s annual income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, then you or the household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
- Program Participation Based Eligibility: If you or anyone of your household takes part or gets benefit from certain Government Assistance Programs, then you or the household is considered to be eligible for the Affordable Connectivity program. The Assistance Programs are as follows: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid , Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, etc.
Required Documents To Prove Your Eligibility For A Free Phone From The Government.
An Affordable Connectivity program eligible person has to submit some documents to prove his/her income status, age or, emancipation status, identity, address, and program participation status. Some examples of such documents are: A valid ID, Passport, Birth Certificate, Driver’s License, Paycheck Stub, Recent Mortgage or lease statement, Approval letter, Benefit Award letter, etc.
Note: The Affordable Connectivity Program will stop accepting new applications and enrollments on February 7, 2024. So consumers must be approved and enrolled with a service provider by 11:59 p.m ET on February 7th to receive the ACP benefits. The existing ACP beneficiaries will continue to receive their ACP benefits for at least April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change.
Process To Apply For A Free Government Phone From Torch Wireless
You can apply for a free Government phone from Torch Wireless through Torch Wireless’s website, or through ACP’s website, or via mail. The application processes are described below:
Apply Through Torch Wireless
You can apply for your free phone from Torch Wireless. Go to: “torchwireless.com“. Enter your ‘Zip Code’ and click on ‘Start’ . Now, follow the onscreen instructions and complete the application process.
Apply Through ACP’s Website
If you prefer, you may apply for the free phone from Affordable Connectivity Program’s website also. The process is described below:
- To start your application, open the program’s official website.
- Go to the Apply section and tap “Apply Now’. You will be directed to the application page.
- Fill up the following fields: Home address where you will get internet (Street number and name, Apartment, unit, etc.; City or Town, State or Territory, Zip Code) and your contact information (Email address, Phone (optional)).
- Now tap ‘Next’.
- Follow the instructions and complete the application.
- Upload necessary documents.
- Now submit the application with the uploaded eligibility documents.
Apply Via Mail
You can apply for your free phone from the ACP program via mail also. The process is given here:
- To enroll for the ACP through mail, download a paper application form and household worksheet from ACP official website. Then take print out of the papers.
- Now, complete the application form and household worksheet.
- Attach proof documents for your eligibility, identity, address , etc.
- Now, send your application form and household worksheet with other documents to: ACP support center, PO BOX 9100, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773.
Ways To Check The Application Status For A Free Phone From Torch Wireless Under ACP
There is no direct process to check the status of your application on Torch Wireless website. You can contact customer support of Torch Wireless to know the application status.
Process To Check The Application Status Via Customer Support:
- Call Torch Wireless customer support at 1-877-998-6724.
- Have your application number ready.
- A customer service representative will be able to check the status of your application for you and provide you with more detailed information.
- From the customer care representative, you may know about:
- The current status of your application (e.g., Pending, Approved, Denied).
- The reason for any denials.
- Any other information that you may need to know.
- If your application is approved, you will get a confirmation email about it.
Types Of Free Phones That You May Get From Torch Wireless
Most of the providers do not want to reveal the brand and model of the phone that they provide. So, before getting the phone in hand, you cannot know the exact brand or model of your phone. But depending on the reviews and experiences of previous clients of Torch Wireless, we can come to a decision that the following brands are given to the clients of Torch Wireless.
- Samsung Galaxy Phone.
- Motorola Moto Phone.
- ZTE Phone.
- Alcatel Phone.
- BLU Phone.
- Renewed Apple iPhone.
- TCL Phone.
- LG Phone.
- Kyocera Phone.
- Sky Devices Phone.
Activation Process Of The Free Phone From Torch Wireless
To activate the free phone you received from Torch Wireless under the Affordable Connectivity Program, you will need to follow these steps:
- Insert the SIM card that came with your phone into your phone.
- Power on your phone.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to activate your phone.
- When prompted, enter your ACP benefit code.
- Once your phone is activated, you can start using it. You can make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and use your online data.
If you have any problems activating your phone, you can contact Torch Wireless customer support at 877-998-6724 / 877-99-TORCH for assistance.
The Other Benefits Given With The Free Phone From Torch Wireless
- The other benefits that you get with your free phones are:
- Unlimited Minutes.
- Unlimited Text Messages.
- 5 GB of Data.
- Other features:
- Caller ID
- Call Waiting
- Call Forwarding
- 3-Way Calling and
- Voicemail.
Ways To Maximize Your Chances To Get A Free Government Phone From Torch Wireless
You can maximize your chances to get a free Government phone from Torch Wireless by following the ways stated below:
- Apply as early as possible: The Affordable Connectivity Program has a budget and free phone are limited in number. So, Torch Wireless also has a limited number of phones to provide with their clients. For this, apply as early as possible. This will increase your chances of getting a free phone from Torch Wireless.
- Sign up for Torch Wireless’s email: Sign up for Torch Wireless’s email and also subscribe for their newsletters. These steps will always keep you up to date about Torch Wireless’s latest promotions, giveaways , and new offers. You may use these opportunities to increase the chances of getting a free phone.
- Follow Torch on social media: Always keep an eye on social media for Torch’s giveaways and offers. Because, in most of the cases Torch Wireless announces their free phone giveaways on their social media page.
- Be active on Torch’s forums: Try to participate in Torch Wireless’s forums. In these forums, you can discuss, give your opinion, and give solutions for problems. Thus, you can earn points and later redeem these points to get a phone.
- Refer a friend to Torch Wireless: If you can, refer to a friend to sign up for Torch Wireless. If your friend signs up for Torch Wireless, then it increases your possibility to get a free phone. Refer to as many friends as you can.
- Keep an eye out for Torch’s retail partners: Sometimes Torch Wireless makes partnerships with retailers and offers free phones with a new contract or purchase. It increases your chance to win a free phone.
- Don’t Give up: If you fail to get a free phone from Torch Wireless, don’t give up. Find the cause of failure, solve the issue, and apply again. This attitude can increase your chances to get a free Government phone from Torch Wireless.
Reasons For The Rejection Of Your Application For A Free Phone From Torch Wireless And Their Solutions
There are many reasons for the rejection of your application for the Affordable Connectivity Program. And these causes also have some good solutions. In the following section, I discuss the causes for the rejection of your application and their solutions.
- Ineligible Household: If the applicant’s household cannot meet the eligibility criteria for the Affordable Connectivity Program, then the application can be rejected. Eligibility criteria depends on certain factors such as income level, participation in federal assistance programs like SNAP or Medicaid, or job loss due to Covid-19 pandemic. If the applicant’s household fails to meet these criteria, then their applications can be rejected.
- Solution: You need to fulfill any of the criteria to be eligible for the ACP. If you are not eligible anyway, find someone in your household who has the eligibility and then request him to apply for the ACP from your household.
- Address Verification: A criteria for the ACP is that the applicant must be a US citizen. So, the applicant’s address must be verified as a valid U.S. residential address. If your provided Address cannot be verified, then your application can be rejected.
- Solution: Do not make any mistakes when providing your address in your application. Prepare all documents to support your address. If required, provide the proof of your address.
- Non-Compliance with Program Rules: If the applicant or the household did not comply with the ACP program’s rules and used their devices and services for unauthorized purposes previously, then the authority may reject your application.
- Solution: For your own good, never use your phone for unauthorized purposes. Be honest in using your service and all steps of the application process.
- Insufficient Funding: The FCC may have limited funding available. So, there is a limitation in the number of free phones. If the authority distributed all phones in their stock, then they may reject your application for a free phone.
- Solution: There is no overnight solution for this problem. When the fund is available, then apply for the free phone again.
- Technical Issues with the Application Portal: Technical glitches or errors within the ACP’s online application portal can sometimes result in application rejection.
- Solution: As a solution for the issue, you should check and be sure that you successfully submit the application. If you encounter technical issues then you may contact their customer care.
- Fraudulent Activity: If you take part in dishonest or fraudulent activities, such as attempting to provide false information, misrepresent eligibility, etc. then that can lead to the rejection of your application.
- Solution: Avoid all kinds of fraudulent activities. Don’t take any dishonest step to make your application approved. Be honest and believe that honesty has its reward.
- Lack of Communication or Response: The FCC authority may require applicants to respond to their requests for additional information or clarification within a specified timeframe. If you fail to communicate or provide additional information in time, then the authority may reject your application.
- Solution: Always be alert about any updates or requirements of the authority. If they contact for any additional information or document, provide it as early as possible.
- Failure to Meet Age Requirements: The ACP has age restrictions for the applicants. An applicant must be 18 years old or over to apply for the program. If he/she is under 18, then must be an emancipated Minor. If you fail to meet these criteria then the authority may reject your application.
- Solution: You may submit proof documents to support that you are 18 years of age or over. If you are under 18 or an emancipated Minor, then submit your court document to prove your emancipation status.
- Duplicate Application: According to the ACP rule, a person or household cannot submit more than one application at a time. If you violate this rule, your application can be rejected.
- Solution: You should never submit more than one application at a time from the same household. This can help you or your household to avoid application rejection.