The good news is that no contracts are required. And there is no bad news.
If you qualify you will get your free cell phone from the government and your free monthly minutes for up to a year before you need to re-qualify.
Don’t let the word “re-qualify” scare you. It’s a lot less ominous than it sounds. In fact, re-qualifying is simple. All you need to do is make one phone call or go online and answer a few simple questions. Please keep in mind that your eligibility will be reviewed once a year and your service will be stopped when you are no longer eligible.
If your financial situation changes before the year expires or if you decide you don’t like the program, you can drop out of it at any time.
But as long as you want to be part of the program and as long as you qualify for it, there’s no limit on how long you can use your free government cell phone and continue receiving free minutes every month.
There are terms and conditions (the fine print) that you should read on the cell phone company’s website. Look for it and read it. It’s not a contract, but if you don’t abide by their terms, you could lose your service.