Dial again: choosing the right cellular phone provider - Consumer Life - Brief Article

Black Enterprise, May, 2002 by Ann Brown

Tonya K. Payton, owner of S&S Associates, a public relations and event planning firm in New York, needed cellular phone service for herself and her four employees. She negotiated free long distance and additional free minutes. Payton averages 3,000 to 4,000 minutes a month, while her four employees each average about 2,500 minutes monthly.

According to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, an estimated 117.5 million Americans have cell phones. Each day, more people are becoming wireless. As such, cell phone service providers are fervently vying for your business. With the abundance of options and promotions available, finding the right service can be confusing, particularly when each provider may offer up to 10 different plans.

So how do you find the service that's right for you? Whether you're looking for phone service for personal use or business, get recommendations from family, friends, and co-workers. Visit Websites like www.wirelessadvisor.com, www.wirelessconsumers.org, and www.point.com. You can also log on to the providers' respective sites. They explain the various types of plans and can help you find the best plan in your area. But don't hit the stores just yet. First, ask yourself these questions:

* How often will I use the phone? Daily or just for emergencies? This will determine the amount of minutes you'll need. The average monthly cell phone bill is around $45. Incoming calls also count as minutes.

* When will I use the phone most? Some plans offer free weekends and nights (off-peak). But if you make most of your calls on weekdays, during the day (peak), those free minutes would be of little benefit. If you use your phone for business, ask for a plan with "anytime minutes," where there are no specified times for phone usage.

* Do I need special features? Call waiting, voicemail, and text messaging, among many other features, cost extra.

* What type of phone do I want? Digital calls are clearer than analog but not yet available in many rural parts of the country. Most companies provide analog Connections, which allow you to connect in areas where digital is not available. Analog calls are less secure, though, and may pick up more static. Digital PCS offers service on a higher frequency range, which allows for international calls and Internet connections. Some plans offer dual ability, analog and digital phones.

* What do I want to spend monthly? There is a monthly fee that varies among plans. Your service price is based on how long you talk, the number of long-distance calls you make, how much you use your phone, and whether you call inside or outside of your service provider's calling area.

You will also need to determine whether a national or regional plan is best suited to your needs. A national plan is better for those who do a lot of traveling and may have to make long-distance calls. There is another option, says Richard Sayers, editor and founder of 10-10PhoneBates.com, a site that analyzes the lowest phone service rates. "For people with a cell phone plan that charges more for long-distance calls within the U.S., you may save money by using the CogniDial toll-free access dial-around plan for state-to-state calls," he notes. "While you will still be using up minutes on your cell phone plan, the additional cost for a state-to-state call will be less than 7.8 cents per minute with CogniDial."

If you're getting service for business, negotiate for a deal. "You might want to go for the lower minutes at first, but make sure you can make changes to your contract without suffering any penalties if you find you need more minutes or features," notes Payton, who chose Sprint PCS. On her current plan, she estimates her savings are between 13% and 18% per month. Most carriers will customize plans for businesses, but they require them to get a minimum of five phones, pass a corporate credit check, provide a tax ID number, have a corporate checking account, and have a corporate phone number.

Contracts are almost always mandatory for one year, so find out if the service provider offers a 30-day trial period to test the plan you've picked. Carriers that don't require a contract are often for pre-paid plans. In all cases, read the contract carefully and before your year expires, review it. To place complaints, contact the FCC, which has a consumer information site at www.wirelessfcc.gov. The address is FCC, The Portals, 445 12th St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554.