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How To Choose A Cellular
Service Provider
One of the very first
things you should do when looking to choose a cellular
service provider is not to choose one. What do we mean
by that? In other words, don’t make a hasty decision
because you saw a good deal on an advertisement. It may
look like a good deal up front, but you will later be
scratching your head asking why you did that.
You should do your
homework before you even grab your car keys. Chances
are that you already know someone who owns a cellular
phone. Ask them who they are using and if they like the
service. Find out what they like and what they don’t
like. But don’t stop with just one person. Ask as
many people as you can about the carrier they are using
and what they think about the service. We emphasize
carrier and not which retail store they bought from. We
will come back to that shortly.
The people who you speak
with can tell you about dead spots in coverage, what to
expect from customer service, and much more. You can
even ask them about the phone that they are using for
service. Since they are already familiar with the
phone, they can tell you what functions and features
are available with the phone. Another item to keep in
mind is that cellular phone time is billed in rounded
minutes. If you use a fraction of a minute, the billing
minute is rounded up to the next highest.
Okay, now you have
finished pestering everyone you knew and some you didn’t
about which carrier’s service they are using. What
next? Deciding how you are going to use the cellular
phone. Is it for emergencies, general purpose, or
business? The purpose of having the cellular phone
should dictate which service plan you are going to
choose.
Most carriers offer
packages that allow for different rates based on usage.
You will want to stop by your local retailer and ask
for a rate plan and coverage map. The reason why we say
to stop by your local retailer rather than looking it
up on the internet is for one simple reason. Why you
are in the store, you can see for yourself what phones
they have to offer you as a customer. Remember, the
sales clerk’s job is to sell you a phone. Tell them
you will come back later if you are not ready to buy
service.
One thing we should
mention here is that MCI Wireless is not a network of
MCI. Rather the service offered is part of an agreement
between MCI and wireless carriers to allow MCI to offer
a privately branded wireless service to subscribers.
MCI Wireless is typically referred to as a
"reseller" of wireless service. The purchase
of Sprint is of critical importance to MCI if only
because they are one of the big 3 carriers without
Back to the service
packages available to you as a consumer. As mentioned
above, you will be given a range of packages that will
probably fit your needs. From a basic package to a
business package. The basic package usually offers a
flat monthly fee with having to pay per each minute
used. For those who need the phone for emergencies
only, you can get away with a monthly charge for less
than $20 a month. However, expect to pay higher per
minute rates than with the higher priced packages. The
other packages will normally offer a specific block of
time to be included in the package. For example, you
buy a "Deluxe Package" which is sold for
$29.95 per month and comes with 30 minutes a month and
the additional minutes used will be discounted. An
"Executive Package" which is sold for $49.95
per month will come with a block of time to include 60
minutes and a further discounted pricing for additional
minutes used.
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See Diagram A.
|
Rate Plan |
Monthly Fee |
Minutes Included |
Peak Airtime
Minutes. |
Off Peak Airtime
Min. |
|
Basic |
$14.95 |
0 |
0.34 |
0.15 |
|
Deluxe |
$29.95 |
30 |
0.30 |
0.15 |
|
Executive |
$49.95 |
60 |
0.28 |
0.14 |
|
Premium |
$69.95 |
150 |
0.25 |
0.11 |
Diagram A: Chart shows
airtime minutes on a per minute rate in relation to a
whole dollar. Example: 0.34 = 34 cents. This diagram
may not reflect actual carrier rates.
Because carriers have
different pricing, you will need to review the rate
plans that are available in your area. Some may offer
different pricing packages that you may find more
suitable to your needs and finances.
The above information
has focused on carriers in general. The one other item
you will need to consider is whether you will be
traveling or not. Roaming charges and long distance
fees will apply. If you expect to do a lot of
traveling, you may want to consider either Sprint PCS
or AT&T Wireless. Both of them have rate plans that
will significantly reduce your roaming and long
distance fees.
Note: If you are already
using Sprint for long distance service and sign up with
Sprint PCS cellular service, they can combine the bills
into one.
Now you are probably
thinking that you are done with doing your homework for
choosing a cellular provider. Not quite. Although we
have given you a lot of information that you need to
consider, we mentioned getting a coverage map from the
retailer.
Carriers within a given
state will generally offer a local calling area and a
statewide calling area. This is where the coverage map
comes into play when making your decision. Do you have
family that lives in another area of the state in a
smaller town? You will want to review the coverage map
to see if it has coverage areas that you feel are
important to have cellular phone coverage. About 20% of
the US still doesn’t have cellular service coverage.
Doesn’t sound like a lot until you look at just how
much landmass is in the US.
It is up to you to
decide which coverage plan will save you the most
money. If you get the local coverage plan and travel to
another area of the state, expect to pay roaming and
long distance fees every time you use your cellular
phone.
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Custom
Calling Features With Plans:
Carriers also have a
range of features available to you that may be free or
may cost in addition to your calling plan package. The
following are some of the features offered:
Call waiting, Call
Forwarding, Call Diversion, Busy Transfer, 3 way
calling, and voice mail.
Self-explanatory. If the
carrier does charge for these services, you will want
to consider if you really need them or not. The bottom
line is that the carrier will make money on these
services since they add to your minutes used. Remember
that when you are choosing which package will work best
for you.
In addition, you may be
required to sign a one year or two year contract for
the cellular phone service. Make sure to find out how
many times they will allow you to change packages
within the time of your contract, should you find a
need to downsize or upgrade your cellular phone
package, without charging you a fee for doing so.
Also find out what toll
free services are offered which should include
emergency 911, State Patrol, customer service, and your
carrier may have agreements with local radio stations,
and more. Believe it or not, but Nebraska has a toll
free cellular phone line for the Coast Guard. At the
time of writing this book, we were unable to find any
claims of anyone calling the Coast Guard to report
seeing the Loch Ness Monster in any lakes. But there
have been proven cases of Piranha found in the Missouri
River.
With the information
provided so far, you should be ready to put on your
coat and grab those car keys. You are armed with enough
information to choose the cellular service provider
that will work best for you.
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