The effectiveness of low-income telephone assistance programmes : Southwestern Bell's experience

In an effort to preserve and augment universal telephone service in the USA the Federal Communications Commission, in agreement with a majority of states, established several assistance programmes offering discounted telephone service to qualifying low-income households. This article uses quantitative data to analyse Southwestern Bell's Lifeline and Link-Up America discount programmes. Although some states' programmes could better target the populations whose telephone service seems most precarious, the study indicates that, on average, discounts offered by Southwestern Bell's assistance programmes contribute to the furtherance of universal service.