Assurance Wireless

<h2 id="eligibility">Eligibility</h2>
By meeting certain income requirements or by qualifying for certain federal and/or state assistance programs, US citizens are entitled to enroll for the free phone and monthly service. One phone per household is allowed and at least one call or text per 30 day period with the phone is required to maintain service.
As of 2024, Assurance Wireless service is available to qualifying residents in the <a href="/facts/Contiguous_United_States/yx414G7a">Contiguous United States</a> including <a href="/facts/Washington%2c_D.C./enXPK156">Washington, D.C.</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>

<h2 id="ownership">Ownership</h2>
Since April 2020, the Assurance Wireless brand has been under the <a href="/facts/T-Mobile_International_AG/w1cMJGej">T-Mobile</a> family.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a> This was the result of the <a href="/facts/Merger_of_Sprint_Corporation_and_T-Mobile_US/fn0MAcy1">merger of Sprint Corporation and T-Mobile US</a> was officially completed,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> and after <a href="/facts/Virgin_Mobile_USA/Qk3gYr8E">Virgin Mobile USA</a> was officially shut down and folded into Boost Mobile. An official statement was sent to all customers July 14, 2020 stating that all customers would continue to have the same minutes, data, and service, but now on the T-Mobile network.
In 2019 before the merger, T-Mobile President Mike Sievert said in a statement to USA Today, "The digital divide is real and we want to help eliminate it. We have pledged that the new T-Mobile will maintain the existing T-Mobile and Sprint Lifeline program throughout the country indefinitely, barring fundamental changes to today's program."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a>

<h2 id="pre-installed-software">Pre-installed software</h2>
In 2019, it was discovered that cell phones being sold by Assurance Wireless came with unremovable Chinese malware preinstalled.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<a href="https://www.assurancewireless.com/">Official website</a>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"TABLE OF ADDITIONAL REGISTRANTS". www.sec.gov. Retrieved August 5, 2024. <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/101830/000114036122015602/ny20003739x1_s4.htm" target="_blank">https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/101830/000114036122015602/ny20003739x1_s4.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"User Guides for Lifeline Phones". AssuranceWireless. Retrieved January 19, 2021. <a href="https://www.assurancewireless.com/help-center/phone-guides" target="_blank">https://www.assurancewireless.com/help-center/phone-guides</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"Unlocking Your Phone". Assurance Wireless. Retrieved January 19, 2021. <a href="https://www.assurancewireless.com/unlock" target="_blank">https://www.assurancewireless.com/unlock</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Assurance Wireless Homepage". AssuranceWireless. Retrieved March 16, 2021. <a href="https://www.assurancewireless.com" target="_blank">https://www.assurancewireless.com</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"Lifeline Program". T-Mobile. Retrieved February 26, 2021. <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/lifeline-program" target="_blank">https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/lifeline-program</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"The 14 Best Free Government Cell Phones 2021". Hotspot Setup. July 25, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2021. <a href="https://www.hotspotsetup.net/the-14-best-free-government-cell-phones-2020/" target="_blank">https://www.hotspotsetup.net/the-14-best-free-government-cell-phones-2020/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Scalzi, John (July 13, 2022). "Best Ways To Get Assurance Wireless Government Phone". Tips Pec. Retrieved December 13, 2022. <a href="https://tipspec.com/assurance-wireless-government-phone/" target="_blank">https://tipspec.com/assurance-wireless-government-phone/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Check the Lifeline Program Availability by State". <a href="https://www.assurancewireless.com/lifeline-services/check-availability" target="_blank">https://www.assurancewireless.com/lifeline-services/check-availability</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"Lifeline Program". T-Mobile. Retrieved February 26, 2021. <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/lifeline-program" target="_blank">https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/lifeline-program</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">"T-Mobile and Sprint's merger is officially complete". Tmo News. April 1, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2021. <a href="https://www.tmonews.com/2020/04/t-mobile-sprint-merger-complete/" target="_blank">https://www.tmonews.com/2020/04/t-mobile-sprint-merger-complete/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">"T-Mobile promises to support low-income Lifeline program 'indefinitely' if merger approved". USA TODAY. March 11, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2021. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/03/11/t-mobile-well-keep-low-income-offers-indefinitely-merger/3129108002/" target="_blank">https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/03/11/t-mobile-well-keep-low-income-offers-indefinitely-merger/3129108002/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">"Virgin's subsidized smartphones come with unremovable Chinese malware". Boing Boing. January 10, 2020. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020. <a href="https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D03AQGouqOI55HODA/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/0/1574034326130?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=HqRNbFyQDR7PkelMkdoL-z-jz2Zrx3M8YM5t5wbmJuE" target="_blank">https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D03AQGouqOI55HODA/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/0/1574034326130?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=HqRNbFyQDR7PkelMkdoL-z-jz2Zrx3M8YM5t5wbmJuE</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Cimpanu, Catalin. "Unremovable malware found preinstalled on low-end smartphone sold in the US". ZDNet. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020. <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/unremovable-malware-found-preinstalled-on-low-end-smartphone-sold-in-the-us/" target="_blank">https://www.zdnet.com/article/unremovable-malware-found-preinstalled-on-low-end-smartphone-sold-in-the-us/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">Goodin, Dan (January 9, 2020). "US Government-funded Android phones come preinstalled with unremovable malware". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020. <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/01/us-government-funded-android-phones-come-preinstalled-with-unremovable-malware/" target="_blank">https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/01/us-government-funded-android-phones-come-preinstalled-with-unremovable-malware/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Assurance Wireless open-in-new

Assurance Wireless