RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- America's number one prepaid cell phone provider, TracFone Wireless, Inc., announced that its federal Lifeline offering, SafeLink, will now offer participants of the program in Virginia the choice of three monthly plans, including up to 250 minutes of free monthly talk time - nearly an hour more per month than is offered by any other competitor.

The new choices made possible by TracFone give low-income families up to 250 minutes of free monthly talk time and additional, flexible plan options give families the freedom to choose which plan is best suited for their needs to stay connected, stay safe. Also, SafeLink is currently the only plan that gives eligible applicants the freedom to use their minutes for either texting or to make a phone call.

Recognizing that Americans are still struggling through the worst economic recession in decades, SafeLink is renewing and further strengthening its commitment to low-income families by affording them the ability to stay connected with current or potential employers, children at home alone while their parents are at work, health care specialists, vital emergency responders, or relatives in time of personal emergencies, such as roadside vehicle breakdowns.

In addition to the free wireless cell phone customers receive at TracFone's expense, beginning August 16th, participants of the SafeLink Wireless program will have the choice of the following plans:

    --  New 250 free monthly non-carryover minutes, one text per each minute and
        a free cellular handset.
    --  New 125 free monthly carryover minutes, one text per each minute and a
        free cellular handset.
    --  Original 68 free monthly carryover minutes, 3 texts per each minute,
        International Long Distance to over 100 destinations and a free cellular
        handset.

In addition to the free monthly airtime minutes for one year, SafeLink offers superior coverage area throughout the United States; quality LG, Motorola, and Samsung cell phones; 411 at no additional cost; unlimited access to 911; and in-demand features: voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID.

Mary, a 63-year-old Arlington resident, is a diabetic and has high-blood pressure. Her TracFone SafeLink phone has allowed her to feel safe for the past two years, especially when her power is cut-off due to electricity shortages.

"When there is a power failure, I use my phone to call the electric company to come fix it," said Mary. On one particular night when her electricity was out, her SafeLink phone was crucial in saving a visiting friend's life.

"My friend of 20 years was visiting me and all of a sudden he started to complain his chest was hurting," said Mary. "My cell phone allowed me to call 911, despite the lack of electricity, which is something I would never have been able to do if I didn't have my SafeLink phone."

"With extra minutes I will not have to worry about whether or not I have enough minutes to use in case of another emergency."

In August 2008, TracFone was the first to modernize Lifeline for the way people communicate today with the creation of SafeLink. SafeLink is offered in 24 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with more than 683,000 households eligible for the service in Virginia.

The prepaid feature gives customers the freedom to control the cost of their monthly telephone expense without any surprises. SafeLink customers wishing to use additional minutes beyond their free allotment can add minutes by purchasing TracFone airtime cards at local retailers. As an exclusive benefit for SafeLink customers, SafeLink phones will automatically add bonus minutes to TracFone's 60, 90 and 120-minute airtime cards. However, there is no requirement to purchase additional minutes and no pressure applied to applicants to do so at any time.

Program Eligibility

To qualify for Lifeline in the state of Virginia, a household must participate in one of the following:

    --  Federal Public Housing Assistance / Section 8
    --  Food Stamps
    --  Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
    --  Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    --  National School Lunch (free program only)
    --  Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
    --  Medicaid

http://www.safelink.com

SOURCE TracFone Wireless, Inc.