On a limited income? You can save on a phone connection with Lifeline and Link-Up services from CenturyTel. These federal assistance programs can help you get a phone connection and also save on your monthly local phone service. Lifeline + Link-Up. Two of the many ways we provide helping hands in your community.

Services Provided

CenturyTel provides single party residential and business services. This includes access to (1) voice grade to the public switched network, (2) local usage, (3) dual tone multi-frequency signaling or its functional equivalent, (4) single-party service or its functional equivalent, (5) emergency services, (6) operator services, (7) inter-exchange service, (8) directory assistance, and (9) Toll limitation for qualifying low-income consumers. Specific rates for each area will be provided upon request.

Lifeline

Lifeline provides certain discounts on monthly service for qualified subscribers.

Link-Up

Link-Up helps customers pay the initial cost of obtaining phone service.

How to Qualify?

Lifeline and Link-Up are available to qualifying customers in every U.S. state. Qualifications do vary by state. States with their own programs have their own criteria. In states that rely solely on the federal program, the subscriber must participate in one of the following programs:

• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Food Stamps
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Income below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
• Medicaid
• National School Lunch's Free Lunch Program
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

You may also qualify if you are a resident on American Indian tribal lands and receive support from:

• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
• Head Start or National School Lunch Program

The Enhanced Tribal Lifeline Assistance program enables participants to receive basic monthly telephone service, depending on current rates, at their primary residence for as little as one dollar a month.

Individuals living in a CenturyTel service area should call 1-800-201-4099 to inquire about eligibility.

Upcoming Digital Transition

Please read the following important information regarding the upcoming digital TV transition. The U.S. Congress has mandated that February 17, 2009 will be the last day for full-power television stations to broadcast with an analog signal. Beginning February 18, 2009, full-power television stations will broadcast in digital only. Broadcast stations in the U.S. are currently broadcasting in both analog and digital. This switch from analog to digital broadcast television is referred to as the Digital TV (DTV) transition. If you fall into one of the following categories, you are ready for the transition and do not need to take any action: You are a CenturyTel Cable, CenturyTel Digital Television or CenturyTel | DISH Network subscriber and ALL of your TVs are connected to the service. You have a Digital TV that is marked Integrated Digital Tuner, Digital Tuner Built-In, Digital Receiver, Digital Tuner, DTV, ATSC, or HDTV. If you are unsure, check your manual or contact your consumer electronics retailer or the TV manufacturer. After February 17, 2009, a television receiver with only an analog broadcast tuner will require a converter box to receive full power over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna because of the U.S. transition to digital broadcasting. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before to receive low power, Class A or translator television stations and with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players and similar products. If a television in your household receives its signal via rabbit ears or an external antenna and/or you cannot confirm that you own a digital television, you may not be able to watch most local television stations after February 17, 2009 without a converter box. Information about the DTV transition is available at www.DTV.gov. You can also contact www.dtv2009.gov or 1-888-DTV-2009 for information about subsidized coupons for digital-to-analog converter boxes.