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Standup Wireless is a cell phone provider here in the US. The Standup Wireless free phone program is a program where the provider gives you a monthly service plan at absolutely no cost. In some cases, you’ll even get a one-time discount on a smartphone to get you started.
Standup Wireless is no new name in the free phone business. It has been helping close the communication gap for low-income families since 1999- over 20 years ago.
In this guide, I’ve covered everything you should know about the Standup Wireless free phone program. That includes how to apply and qualify, plus the kind of Free smartphone and monthly phone plan you get.
Standup Wireless Free Phone: A Summary of the Program
| Feature | Standup Wireless |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Carrier Network | T-Mobile |
| eSIM support | N/A |
| 5G Access | YES |
| Free Minutes | Unlimited |
| Free Data | Unlimited (with cap) |
| Free Mexico/ Canada Call | Varies |
| Free Smartphone | YES |
| Bonus Tablet | YES |
| Mobile Hotspot | YES |
| WiFi Calling | YES |
First, Standup Wireless is one of the hundreds of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in the country. As an MVNO, it resells the network of a Major Carrier, T-Mobile, at the time of writing.
Unlike most MVNOs, Standup Wireless falls in the group of eligible telecommunication carriers (ETCs). Being an ETC means it has the license to operate as a Lifeline phone provider for free service. Then, the government (through USAC) pays them back for each subscriber served.
In the Lifeline program, Standup Wireless brings you up to unlimited talk and text, plus 6GB of high-speed data. The exact amount of allowances will depend on your State and the location of your home.
Nonetheless, Standup Wireless has the best free phone deal in the temporary affordable connectivity program (ACP). If you get the Lifeline + ACP combo plan, the bundle includes unlimited talk, text, and data. To make it even better, the allowances are for both local and international use.
Crucial Things You Should Know about Standup Wireless Free Phone Program
The Standup Wireless free phone is part of the cogs helping the government on its mission to connect communities. As I’ve just mentioned, the service provider has the free phone offer in two different programs:
Get a Standup Wireless Free Phone with the Lifeline program
The Lifeline program is the first method how to get a Standup Wireless free phone. Lifeline is the oldest connectivity program from the government, dating as far as 1985.
At the time Standup started offering the free phone, the Lifeline program didn’t cover much. It wasn’t until 2016 that the program included data services to access the internet.
From what I could gather, the Standup Wireless Lifeline program at the time offered at least 300 talk minutes and 3GB of mobile data. But it has gotten better in recent years to bring more talk and browsing.
The universal service fund for the Lifeline program usually pays only $9.25/ month for each subscriber ($34.25 on tribal lands). So, the free phone plan still doesn’t have as many perks as the ACP program which has more funding.
Get a Standup Wireless free Phone with the ACP Program
The second way you can get Standup Wireless free phone is through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). ACP came in 2021 to help individuals that COVID-19 impacted financially afford broadband service.
In the ACP program, the government gives eligible consumers a connectivity subsidy of $30 (up to $75 on tribal lands). Hence, the reason the monthly phone plan you get will have slightly more allowances than Lifeline.
Like other ETCs, though, Standup Wireless gives you the best free phone plan by combining ACP and Lifeline programs. Yes, the Standup perks are still far from what you get with the SafeLink Wireless free phone. But they’re better than competitors like Easy Wireless and TAG Mobile.
How to Qualify for the Standup Wireless Free Phone
The Standup Wireless free phone, whether with Lifeline or ACP program is only available to low-income families. To qualify, you need a low income within the required federal poverty guidelines or participate in a government-funded assistance benefit.
But again, the Lifeline and ACP are different programs, each with its own source of funding. You should expect the income-based and benefit-based eligibility requirements to qualify to also vary.
For example, for the Standup free phone with the Lifeline program, the income-based requirement is that your household should be making 135% or less of the latest federal poverty guidelines. “Latest” is the keyword here as the poverty guidelines change every year.
Alternatively, you can qualify for the Standup Wireless free phone with Lifeline if on assistance benefits, such as:
- Medicaid/ Medi-Cal benefit
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Veterans Pensions & Survivors Benefit
- Veterans and Veteran’s Survivors Pension Benefit
- Federal Public Housing Assistance Program (FPHA)
- Free and reduced-price National School Lunch Program
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- California Work Opportunity & Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
- Stanislaus Work Opportunity & Responsibility to Kids (StanWORKS)
- Welfare-to-Work (WTW) or Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN)
- CalFresh, Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Tribal-based benefits, such as Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Note:
Some of the welfare assistance benefits Standup Wireless accepts for the Lifeline phone program are state-based. The selections I’ve listed are from my Californian ZIP code. If from another state, you may see a shorter or longer list of accepted benefits.
To qualify for a Standup Wireless free phone with the ACP program in California, the accepted assistance benefits are the same as for Lifeline. The difference is when you apply the free phone with an income-based requirement. Instead of the 135% cap, the qualification for ACP is 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
In other words, your household may be ineligible for the free phone with Lifeline but qualify for the ACP program.
How to Apply Standup Wireless Free Phone
Unfortunately, Standup Wireless has no physical stores you can visit for assistance or to enroll. The easiest and most convenient way to get the free phone is online. It’s a simple process that I completed within a couple of minutes.
Directions to Apply Standup Wireless Free Phone Online
To apply for the Standup Wireless free phone online, all you need is to:
- Gather all the relevant items you need. They include a working internet-enabled phone/ tablet/ laptop/ computer. Also, get soft copies of documents for proof of identity and eligibility. (Scroll down for samples of the proof documents you can use).
- Grab the internet-enabled device and visit www.standupwireless.com. Then, under the section “Apply Today”, enter your valid email and ZIP code
- When you hit the “Apply Now” button, Standup will take you to their available program plans. You have to choose between Lifeline + ACP program, ACP Program, or Lifeline plan. Click the “Continue to Plan Selection” button under the program plan you wish to proceed with.
- After selecting your preferred free phone program, Standup will remind you of the perks you receive and miss. If okay with everything, click the “Continue” button to proceed.
- Next, select the eligibility requirement you wish to use to apply for the free phone program. Then, fill in your details (Name, Date of birth, last 4 digits of SSN) as they appear on the eligibility program used.
- Remember to also choose the best way Standup can reach you. Then, fill in your residence address (street name/ number, city, and apartment [optional]) and hit “NEXT”.
- If the address entered is eligible for a free phone, Standup will ask for your acknowledgment and consent to the program. Approve all the necessary fields. Then, set your preferred Standup Wireless service PIN
- Once you’ve entered your preferred PIN (4 digits), click the “I Accept” button
- At this point, Standup Wireless will have pre-approved your details. But to complete your application, you’ll need to upload a copy of your proof of eligibility and identification.
- Finally, after uploading your proof documents, hit the “Submit” button
Important Note
If you have an active ID of Lifeline or ACP program, Standup Wireless will process your free phone order almost immediately. However, for new enrollments, you must wait for the National Verifier (NV) to verify your details.
The National Verifier will run your details through a database of identification. If they can’t find your details in the database, they use your proof of identity to confirm your identity.
Some of the documents you can upload as proof of identity include a copy of your driver’s license, passport, military/ federal/ state/ tribal ID, birth certificate, green card, certificate of citizenship/ naturalization, etc.
After confirming your identity, the National Verifier will run your details through the database of government assistance benefits. If they can’t find your details, they will use the documents for proof of eligibility to verify you.
The various documents you can use as proof of eligibility include a statement of the program you’re on or a letter of participation/ verification. If applying through income-based requirement, you can upload a copy of your paystub, tax return, or statement of income, unemployment/ worker’s compensation, etc.
Other Ways to Apply Standup Wireless Free Phone
Besides online, you can apply for Standup Wireless free phone by calling customer care at 1-800-544-4441. Make sure to call during the official hours, starting 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM ET from Monday through Saturday.
Once you connect with a Standup customer agent, she will ask for your details to enroll you in the free phone program. Then, she will tell you how to submit your documents for proof of identity and eligibility.
Thirdly, you can apply for the Standup free phone with the help of a customer agent through the online chat. To initiate an online chat, you just need to click the “Chat” button in the bottom right corner. Then, enter your Name, email, and enrolling message to “Start chat”.
Furthermore, you can apply for the Standup Wireless free phone in person. Since the Lifeline provider doesn’t have dedicated physical stores, you can only enroll in person at their local tents.
Unfortunately, Standup Wireless has no permanent location for their service tents. The sales agents often camp randomly under blue or purple tents outside Walmart, Dollar Store, community halls, and other public places
If lucky to find a Standup tent, the agents help you enroll for the free phone program right away. Where eligible for both a free smartphone and a monthly phone plan, you walk away with both instantly. You’ll not have to wait for the order like when applying online or by contacting customer care (by call or online chat).
What Standup Wireless Free Phone Plans Do I Get when Eligible?
| Features | Standup Wireless Lifeline (Basic) | Standup Wireless Lifeline (Tribal) | Standup Wireless ACP (Basic) | Standup Wireless ACP + Lifeline |
| Government Discount | $9.25/ mo | $34.25/ mo | $30/ mo | $40/ mo |
| Free Smartphone | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Free Tablet | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Talk Minutes (in Other States) | 1000 Minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Talk Minutes (in California) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Text Messages (in all states) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| High-Speed Data (in other states) | 4.5GB | 6.5GB | 5GB | 10GB |
| High-Speed Data (in California) | 6GB | 6.5GB | 5GB | 10GB |
| Slower Data Speed | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Free international calling | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Add-On Minutes (in Other States) | $5 or $10 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Add-on Data (in All States) | $10/ 1.5GB, $20/ 3GB, $30/ 8GB | $10/ 1.5GB, $20/ 3GB, $30/ 8GB | $10/ 1.5GB, $20/ 3GB, $30/ 8GB | $10/ 1.5GB, $20/ 3GB, $30/ 8GB |
California gets better free phone plans with Lifeline than others as the state government tops an additional $5 to the normal federal subsidy. However, the subsidy on tribal lands has an additional enhanced support of $25, which is why consumers in such places get the overall best Lifeline perks.
Regardless, the Standup Wireless free phone with the ACP program offers unlimited talk, text, and data. The data isn’t truly unlimited. It starts with the allotted high-speed allowance before dropping to a lower speed.
If on the free phone with the ACP-only plan, your data starts with 5GB of high-speed browsing on 5G/ 4G LTE. Then, it drops to 512kbps for the next 20GB and 128kbps for the remaining days.
As for the Lifeline + ACP Combo plan, the unlimited data starts with 10GB of high-speed browsing. Then, drops to 512kbps for the next 20GB and 128kbps for the rest of the month.
Finally, the Lifeline + ACP combo plan for consumers on tribal lands starts with up to 25GB of high-speed data. Then, the next 20GB will be at 512kbps and the remaining at 128kbps.
New ACP Update:
Since February 8, 2024, the FCC has closed new enrollments for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The only way to get the ACP-only or Lifeline + ACP free phone plan with Standup Wireless is when transferring your service. Thus, you must already be enrolled with another ACP provider that no longer pleases you.
Key Takeaway: What Kind of Phone Does Standup Wireless Give You
If you apply the Standup Wireless free phone with ACP, there’s a one-time discount on a handset. The kind of phone Standup gives you currently is a Vortex CG65 or HD65.
In either of the Standup Wireless smartphones, you’ll have 64GB of internal memory and 4GB RAM. Thus, way better than the Vortex Z22 (with 32/ 3GB built-in memory) the company used to give earlier in 2022.
However, you may still get the Vortex Z22 if the models CG65 or HD65 are unavailable. There was also a time when Standup Wireless had a deal with Sky Devices and would send Elite B55 smartphone.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Is the Standup Wireless free phone worth it?
Yes, the Standup Wireless free phone program is worth it. If eligible, you could get a free smartphone with 64GB internal memory and 4GB RAM, plus a monthly phone plan of unlimited talk, text, and data. The unlimited data starts with 5GB, 10GB, or 25GB of high-speed browsing before dropping to slower 512kbps and 128kbps speeds.
What network does the Standup Wireless free phone use?
The network Standup Wireless free phone use is T-Mobile (GSM) currently. Thus, has access to the 5G network in most parts of the country. In areas without 5G, you’ll be likely to connect on 4G LTE.
How can I get a Standup Wireless free phone from the government?
To get a Standup Wireless free phone, you can apply at www.standupwireless.com, call customer care number 1-800-544-4441, or initiate an online chat. But as you enroll, make sure you have a low income or participate in a government-funded assistance benefit. Otherwise, you won’t qualify.
What are the pros and cons of a Standup Wireless free phone?
The pros and cons of Standup Wireless free phone from the government you should know before applying are:
Pros:
- It may come with a free smartphone
- Include free talk minutes & text messages
- Has free mobile data to browse and stream videos
- May have a free international calling to various countries
- Supports mobile hotspot feature to share your data with other devices
Cons:
- It has deprioritized data
- Throttles unlimited data plan
- No international roaming feature