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Low Income Program Success Story
Smith Bagley, Inc. - Arizona and New Mexico
Smith Bagley, Inc. - doing business as CellularOne of Northeast Arizona - has successfully used the Universal Service Fund (USF) Low Income Program support to enroll consumers, including individuals who reside on tribal lands, into an affordable phone service plan. All operations are provided from its main office located in Show Low, Arizona, and plans are already in the making for expansion of the main office to accommodate its continued success and future wireless projects.
With Low Income support, the company launched the VisionOne program in May 2001 as a low-cost wireless phone service plan to serve Native American communities including the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and White Mountain reservations in New Mexico and Arizona. The USF-supported program allows over 46,000 residents of tribal lands to connect to emergency services, family members, and community outreach programs. VisionOne offers 300 minutes of airtime per month, unlimited emergency calling, and airtime-free dialing to many support agencies in Native American communities at a contract cost of $1 a month for 36 months.
Brian Gilbert, Director of Network Development & Real Estate Services, believes that "[n]one of these services would be available to these customers if not for USF funding." Additionally, he feels strongly that the USF "has met the goal of providing telecommunications in areas that were not and would not be covered by traditional landline or wireless."
This is a Navajo Hogan where traditional, religious and spiritual ceremonies are held.
Mr. Gilbert recounts that in 2001, two sisters, Lucy and Peggy, members of the White Cone Chapter of the Navajo Nation, visited the Keams Canyon CellularOne store. Lucy discovered she qualified for the VisionOne program and was elated because she and her sister had never had a telephone in their shared home. Being 91 and blind, Lucy was very excited about being able to stay in contact with family and local doctors.
