Getting Started

Participation Rates

Each year, a study of participation rates is conducted in the Lifeline Program for each state.

The study compares the eligibility criteria used by each state against government and other publicly-available data to determine the number of eligible households under each program. Many states include income as a criterion, including those that use the federal default criteria. The study uses the federal poverty guidelines to determine the number of eligible households based on income in these states. The study relies on data published for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Food Stamps to calculate an average number of households that receive assistance through more than one program. This amount is subtracted from the total number of eligible households in states that included multiple programs in their eligibility criteria. The study then compares the number of eligible households in each state against our data on Lifeline Program participation to calculate an estimated participation rate for each state. Included in the study is the eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) with the most Lifeline Program subscribers in each state.

2011 Lifeline Program Participation Rate Data

2011 Participation Rates by State

2010 Lifeline Program Participation Rate Data

2010 Participation Rates by State
2010 ETC with the Most Lifeline Program Subscribers by State

2009 Lifeline Program Participation Rate Data

2009 Participation Rates by State
2009 ETC with the Most Lifeline Program Subscribers by State

2008 Lifeline Program Participation Rate Data

2008 Participation Rates by State
2008 ETC with the Most Lifeline Program Subscribers by State

2007 Lifeline Program Participation Rate Data

2007 Participation Rates by State
2007 ETC with the Most Lifeline Program Subscribers by State

2006 Lifeline Program Participation Rate Data

2006 Participation Rates by State
2006 ETC with the Most Lifeline Program Subscribers by State

2005 Lifeline Program Participation Rate Data

2005 Participation Rates by State
2005 ETC with the Most Lifeline Program Subscribers by State