Up to five different firms have been seen setting up tents around the North State where vendors offer free cell phones, sometimes called “Obama phones,” to those with low incomes.
Lisa Hudson, a regional manager with Total Call Mobile, says the offers are part of the “lifeline” program and is similar to those offered by landline companies. Generally, anyone who receives public benefits, such as WIC, food stamps, Medi-Cal, or Social Security, would be eligible.
Once qualified, the customer is given a free phone and set up on a free or discounted cell phone plan, paid for by the government.
But city officials quickly got wind of the tents popping up on street corners, and the police were called.
“The police officer asked us to shut down because we didn’t have the proper permit,” Hudson said.
Hudson says they are in the process of getting the needed license, but Interim Director of Code Enforcement for the City of Redding Kent Manual says to his knowledge, there have been no applications for the $1,000 permit.
“We have stopped and talked to them and let them know that it is not permissible to be setting up within the public right of way or setting up within a parking lot with out the necessary temporary-use permit,” he said.
In the meantime, most of the companies have been setting up inside of local businesses – in fact NSPR has obtained several pamphlets offering free and discounted cell phone plans to anyone who qualifies for their service. And Manual says this issue will soon be before the City Council, which will seek to clarify rules regarding these types of businesses that are here today and gone tomorrow.