I looked into this for a relative and the ACP provider space is full of scammy looking companies that don't appear to offer much above what is already offered by the Lifeline program. The big providers also participate in the program and unless you absolutely have no money for a monthly fee, seem to be the way to go instead of with the questionable resellers that fit their fee into the ACP subsidy completely. And don't get me started on the "low cost" trash devices they're selling for a "co-pay of $10". The program is good in theory but the implementation feels like it is coated in a thick layer of pond scum.
I'm confused by this. As someone who has set up dozens of released prisoners with ACP, I think you are wrong.
With Lifeline, in my neighborhood, you have a dozen scammy people on every street corner giving you a free phone or tablet, sometimes with no fees, other times they charge you (whether this is legal I don't know). These devices all come with only 15GB/mo of data which the ex-cons use up on YouTube or PornHub within the first three days of each month and then have no data to do anything essential with.
With ACP I can go into any cellphone store, Cricket, Metro, etc, get them a real 5G unlimited plan and decent phone for $40/mo, take off the $30/mo for ACP and off they go. All they have to do is make sure they find the $10 to keep their plan every month and, believe me, they want that porn to keep coming...
