Steve Albertson

New Initiatives Director

salbertson@cvm.org / 206.441.7872

National nonprofit providing free voice mail & information services to low-income and homeless

people in the U.S. & Canada (BC).

Advocates for the telecommunications needs of people living in poverty.

Community Voice Mail (CVM)

• 45 sites offering service in 400 cities/towns• 2,000 social service agencies• 43,000 clients/year• 5.7M calls in 2009, 100K messages/month• 2,200 broadcast messages (2009)

43,000 (Clients)

11,000 (kids)

3,000 (adults)

+ +

= ~ 57,000 people per year dependent on CVM#

CVM Clients

59% Male41% Caucasian

38% African-American65% homeless or at-risk

54% Unemployed20% Disabled11% Veterans

42% age 26-44 (38%>44)

$560/mo. avg. income46% with no income

13% with children (avg=2)6% with dep. adults (avg=1)

Client Use of Phones• 30% own mobile phones (Jun-10)

– Up from 21% in 2008– Most mentioned running out of minutes– Prepaid, inconsistent access,

limited texting & Internet access

• How clients check voice mail (Feb-08)– “Free” phone (agencies): 71%– Payphone: 19%– Mobile phone: 10%

• 59% w/ email addresses (Feb-08)– Access: Public library, agencies

Lifeline Policy Recommendations

• Mandated minimum # of minutes

• Resolve “one-per-household” rule

• Ease transfer process between providers

• Lowest-rate extra minute pricing

• No cost access to support

• Bias towards increasing competition

• Gateway to Lifeline broadband

Mobile is different than landline; design Lifeline to exploit its potential.