Free Metro by T-Mobile service? You might be eligible.

With every passing year, owning a connected smartphone becomes more and more integral. Whether it’s for looking for a job, keeping track of your kids, or just staying connected to the world around you, a smartphone is indispensable.

Unfortunately, owning a smartphone usually means a monthly fee to keep it connected. This can be quite costly. Thankfully, there’s now a way to get subsidized or even totally free Metro by T-Mobile service. This could be a huge money-saver.

Required reading: Everything you need to know about Metro by T-Mobile

The free service is made possible by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This government-sponsored program aims to make owning a connected smartphone affordable for everyone.

Let’s go over what the program offers as well as how to check if you’re eligible.

Free Metro by T-Mobile service: How does it work?

Essentially, the ACP will cover all or part of your Metro by T-Mobile service. If you opt for the company’s entry-tier plan — which gets you unlimited talk and text with 5GB of 5G data — the ACP will cover the entirety of the $30-per-month plan. That means totally free Metro by T-Mobile service!

If you don’t want that plan (or already have a different one), the ACP will slash $30 off the monthly total. This could save you up to $360 each year, which is certainly nice. With this discount, you could pay just $10 each month for unlimited talk/text with 10GB of 5G data, or just $20 each month for unlimited talk/text, unlimited data, 5GB of hotspot data, and 100GB of Google One storage.