Steve Albertson New Initiatives Director [email protected] / 206.441.7872.
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Transcript of Steve Albertson New Initiatives Director [email protected] / 206.441.7872.
National nonprofit providing free voice mail & information services to low-income and homeless
people in the U.S. & Canada (BC).
Advocates for the telecommunications needs of people living in poverty.
Community Voice Mail (CVM)
• 45 sites offering service in 400 cities/towns• 2,000 social service agencies• 43,000 clients/year• 5.7M calls in 2009, 100K messages/month• 2,200 broadcast messages (2009)
43,000 (Clients)
11,000 (kids)
3,000 (adults)
+ +
= ~ 57,000 people per year dependent on CVM#
CVM Clients
59% Male41% Caucasian
38% African-American65% homeless or at-risk
54% Unemployed20% Disabled11% Veterans
42% age 26-44 (38%>44)
$560/mo. avg. income46% with no income
13% with children (avg=2)6% with dep. adults (avg=1)
Client Use of Phones• 30% own mobile phones (Jun-10)
– Up from 21% in 2008– Most mentioned running out of minutes– Prepaid, inconsistent access,
limited texting & Internet access
• How clients check voice mail (Feb-08)– “Free” phone (agencies): 71%– Payphone: 19%– Mobile phone: 10%
• 59% w/ email addresses (Feb-08)– Access: Public library, agencies
Lifeline Policy Recommendations
• Mandated minimum # of minutes
• Resolve “one-per-household” rule
• Ease transfer process between providers
• Lowest-rate extra minute pricing
• No cost access to support
• Bias towards increasing competition
• Gateway to Lifeline broadband
Mobile is different than landline; design Lifeline to exploit its potential.