WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National Lifeline Association (NaLA) released its 2026 Annual Subscriber Survey, based on 83,370 responses across 20 questions. The survey measures how enrollees use the federal Lifeline program, what they can afford, and what access they had before enrolling. This survey is especially relevant as regulators look to reform the Lifeline program and as lawmakers look to reform the Universal Service Fund.
The results are clear: low-income Americans rely on the Lifeline program to stay connected.
“When 96 percent of subscribers tell us they cannot pay any monthly fee, we are not describing a mere discount program,” NaLA Chairman David B. Dorwart stated on the polling results, “we are describing access infrastructure for which Lifeline eligible households have no substitute. Lifeline is a vital program that connects people to life’s essentials.”
Lifeline Provides Connectivity Needed to Improve Outcomes
Approximately two-thirds (66%) of subscribers have used their Lifeline service for healthcare services, including telehealth appointments by phone or video, as well as for ordering medication. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of subscribers have used the service for employment, such as working from home, applying for jobs, and checking shifts. Thirty percent (30%) of subscribers have used the service for educational purposes, such as children’s homework, online classes, and training courses. Finally, eighty-one percent (81%) of subscribers have used their Lifeline service to stay connected to family and friends.
Affordability Remains the Biggest Barrier to Sustainable Monthly Service
Ninety-six percent (96%) of subscribers reported they cannot afford any monthly service fee. Eighty-five percent (85%) reported they could not pay the full undiscounted price and would lose service without the Lifeline benefit. Among subscribers who lack home internet, forty-four percent (44%) identified the monthly bill as the primary reason, the most frequently cited barrier, ahead of both availability and awareness.
Lifeline Is the Reason Households Get and Stay Connected
Forty-three percent (43%) of subscribers had no means of accessing the internet before enrolling in Lifeline. Sixty percent (60%) of respondents are unemployed or disabled. For this population, Lifeline is both the why they are connected and the how they will remain connected.
Current Lifeline Support Amounts Do Not Support Full Access to the Internet
Sixty-nine percent (69%) of subscribers report limiting their data use every month to avoid exhausting their allotment. According to the survey, the current benefit level supports incremental use but not the sustained connectivity needed for full access to telehealth, employment search, remote work, and coursework.
Ninety-one percent (91%) of subscribers prefer mobile wireless service with hotspot capability over fixed broadband. Given the share of this population that is transient or without stable housing, mobility is a functional requirement rather than a preference.
Full results from the survey can be found here: https://nalalifeline.org/blog/2026-annual-subscriber-survey-results/.
About the National Lifeline Association
The National Lifeline Association (NaLA) stands as the sole industry trade group dedicated exclusively to supporting the Lifeline program. NaLA works to preserve and advance Lifeline and other low-income connectivity programs through stakeholder engagement, education, collaboration, and advocacy. NaLA supports all stakeholders in pursuing a common goal: voice, text, and broadband connectivity for all Americans. Through NaLA’s ecosystem-wide membership that includes service providers, distributors, network access aggregators, compliance and software solutions vendors, device manufacturers, program supporters, and beneficiaries, NaLA provides a platform to enable and realize the goal of getting and keeping every low-income American connected to essential communications services. For more information on NaLA, visit https://www.nalalifeline.org.
SOURCE National Lifeline Association
