Sources & Methodology

• USAC Lifeline Support
• USAC — How to Qualify
• USAC — Companies Near Me
• National Verifier / CheckLifeline
• FCC — Lifeline for Consumers
• 47 CFR Part 54, Subpart E

Where a state regulator or separate state affordability program is relevant, we link to the responsible state commission or agency. State-level material is not used to replace federal USAC rules unless the page is specifically discussing a separate state program such as California LifeLine.

iPhone chip, display, camera, storage, connector and similar hardware facts are sourced from Apple technical specifications or Apple Support. Apple specifications do not establish that a Lifeline provider currently carries the model.

Provider price, stock, condition, activation fee, shipping, service allowance, return policy and other commercial terms should come from the provider's current published information. When a term cannot be verified, we describe it as variable rather than infer a number from an old advertisement or third-party site.

Secondary reporting can add context, but it should not override a current primary source for a federal rule, state program, device specification or provider offer. Search snippets, aggregator pages and AI summaries are not treated as primary evidence.

We do not publish unsupported claims about verified reader samples, approval percentages, stock depth, shipping averages or provider star ratings. If first-party research is published in the future, the sample, dates and collection method should appear with the claim.