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Which carrier would we choose? Ask yourself how you use wireless,
and these answers may help you make a final
decision. Many exceptions exist. Also see
How to Switch Carriers. We have also featured one cellular deal
we rate as "The Best". (This page updated, 6/23/08) 1) I want the lowest-priced plan. As the larger carriers try to increase their
profits, they no longer offer plans
under
$30 per month, and some go no lower
than
$40 per month. For service below that
price
level, the best offers are for prepaid
service.
The best prepaid value is offered by
T-Mobile. Once you have spent $100 with them, your
expiration is one year and a refill
of as
little as $10 gets you another year.
T-Mobile phones can be purchased at some stores reasonably,
or very cheap and new on eBay. And
you can
discounts on refills from cheapphonecards.com. Look at Cell Guru's Prepaid Comparison page for good options in prepaid. AT&T GoPhone also offers a one year expiration
at the $100 level. The absolute rock-bottom
cheapest plan per year is 7-Eleven's
SpeakOut GSM service that works for one year on as
little as a $25 refill. At that price
level
you don't get many minutes, but it's
a good
choice for a 'glove-box' phone as long
as
you can adhere to a 120-day usage cycle.
Also, any "Unlocked" GSM 850/1900 MHz phone can be used with these services. |
9) I want to roam across the country with no
additional fees. Most of the largest carriers offer some
kind of National plan, each with different
strong and weak points. Some offer coverage
everywhere in the country, others serve only
urban areas and along interstates, and some
offer all certain areas of the country and
only parts of others. Most carriers offer
a "National" plan, but no carrier
allows roaming on every cell site due to
incomparable technologies. Sprint actually has more roaming agreements but
they are slightly more limited by a weak
signal in rural areas. There are a handful
of areas in the country where the only roaming
signal available is GSM and if you travel
through those areas you would prefer one
of AT&T's National plans.
10) I can't control my spouse's or my children's
use of their phone. How can I keep their
costs under control? There are several possibilities. First, you
can try Pre-Paid service, see item 2, above. Second, some carriers like Sprint, offer account spending limits. Third, in
some cities, you can try Cricket Wireless, Metro PCS or one of many small carriers. They offer unlimited
minutes, but are restricted as to coverage
and features. Also, T-Mobile and ClearTalk offer plans with thousands of Peak minutes
that would keep you safely within the allotment.
Most other carriers offer unlimited Off-Peak,
Mobile to Mobile minutes or a "Favorite's"
list if you can direct usage to nights and
weekends or among friends on the same carrier
or a "list". If too much "Texting"
is the problem, most carriers have an unlimited
Texting option.
11) I live in a rural area and only have two
cellular carriers. Visit our Cellular Reviews for your state or check the Dex Directory box, below, for your town and see which
carriers serve your area. Then check the
plans at their web sites. Most often Verizon will be the market leader among the major
carriers in smaller towns, but many small
carriers also offer competitive plans. We
often recommend a friendly, local carrier
over a national carrier .
12) I just want a phone just for emergencies,
do I need to sign up with a carrier? Not necessarily. You can call 911 from any
wireless phone, activated or not. The exception
is an analog-only phone which most likely
will not work at all now that most carriers have discontinued
analog service. But you can't call 911 to get a tow truck.
Sometimes you can call 611 on a deactivated
phone and make a call charged to a credit
card, but don't count on that to save you
in a highway emergency. For true "glove-box"
service, you need a plan that does not require
a call every certain period. Most prepaid
plans require a refill every 90 days. T-Mobile, AT&T,
Tracfone and SpeakOut Wireless (from 7-Eleven stores) offer 1-year prepaid
expirations. Look for other options at Cell
Guru's Prepaid Comparison page.
13) I want to contact my employees by 2-way radio,
but they also need a phone. Nextel is a regular wireless phone that can also
talk directly to each unit and not be charged
for a phone call. It's 'walkie-talkie' feature
works nationally. Verizon, Sprint and AT&T also offer a "Push to Talk" feature,
but these features are inferior to Nextel's.
14) Can I replace my home phone with a wireless
phone? Yes, but your phone may not always work
in your house. During power outages, a wired
phone will work, but your wireless phone's
cell site may also go out. And if there are
too many users on the cell site, you may
not have access, right when you have an emergency.
Additionally, many services, like credit
card signups and pizza shops, require a "home"
landline. T-Mobile offers a "HotSpot" service that
allows your phone to use your home broadband
connection instead of plan minutes, and plan
minutes when away from home.
15) Which carrier offers the most plan for the
money? Sprint offers customers a very good plan to stay
with them after your contract has expired.
These "Retention" plans are very
generous, but in some cases you must call
and tell them you wish to cancel your account.
They forward you to their "cancellation"
department, which is really a negotiator
that offers you a better plan if you stay.
They also offer a similar "SERO"
plan that you must ask for. With the exception
of carriers that offer "unlimited"
plans, T-Mobile often offers the largest number of minutes
and features for the price.
15) CDMA, GSM, IDEN or TDMA? The technology used by your phone really
makes no difference. However, CDMA carriers
(Alltel, Sprint, and Verizon) have a slight edge in total coverage over
carriers using other technologies. TDMA service
has been discontinued across most of the
country.
Find a cellular store near you. Fill in your city,
state and Find It!
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