Verizon to Give Free Phones and Service to Katrina Victims
Wed Nov 16, 2005 11:00 am
Verizon Wireless is working in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission to provide wireless telecommunications relief to qualified individuals who were harmed and displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
"Verizon Wireless wants to help the displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina rebuild their lives and access to wireless communication is still a critical need for many," said Luis M. Cruz, region president for Verizon Wireless.
Eligible customers will receive a prepaid; GPS enabled handset with battery charger and a standard lithium ion battery as well as 300 minutes of prepaid service usable for 120 days from activation or when the 300 minutes are exhausted. The handset and prepaid service will be provided free-of-charge and will not be subject to any contractual obligations.
Customers have the option of purchasing additional prepaid minutes and services through Verizon Wireless' standard customer prepaid plans after activation of a Katrina Lifeline. If a customer purchases prepaid services under a Verizon Wireless standard prepaid plan, any unexpired Katrina Lifeline minutes will be applied to the standard plan.
The temporary Katrina Lifeline service will be provided to customers who meet the following eligibility requirements and submit a request prior to March 1, 2006:
- Customers must certify they were residents of parishes or counties in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as eligible for individual assistance related to Hurricane Katrina.
- Customers must certify that they are designated by FEMA as eligible for disaster housing assistance without repayment obligations and must attach a copy of their FEMA eligibility letter from the Individuals and Household Program (IHP) demonstrating their approval for disaster housing assistance.
- Customers must certify that they are the head of their household, and that their household is receiving only one Katrina Lifeline special support package.
- At the time the application is submitted, customers must reside in areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or eastern Texas where Verizon Wireless provides service.
- Customers must submit an application for a Katrina Lifeline offering postmarked on or before March 1, 2006.
Qualifying counties and parishes include:
- Alabama - Baldwin, Mobile, Pickens, Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa, and Washington counties.
- Louisiana - Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana counties.
- Mississippi - Adams, Amite, Attala, Bolivar, Claiborne, Choctaw, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lama, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Tippah, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Wilkinson, Winston, and Yazoo counties.
Customers meeting these criteria can call 1-866-442-7950 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Standard Time Monday through Friday (except holidays) to receive information on Verizon Wireless' Katrina Lifeline offering and to request a Katrina Lifeline application.
Customers must fill out an application attesting to the above terms and provide their previous residential address in the Katrina affected area, current address, social security number and the required certifications. The application must be post marked no later than March 1, 2006 and submitted to the Verizon Wireless centralized service center.
