How to Choose a Cellular Phone Service Provider

By eHow Electronics Editor

Rate: (6 Ratings)

There are many different cell phone plans, and figuring them out can be confusing. Try to estimate your calling needs before you start investigating plans, and then find one that most closely matches how you think you'll use the phone.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Cellular Phone Accessories
Cellular Phones
Cellular Phone Headsets
Cellular Phone Handsfree Car Kits
Cellular Phone Services

Step1

Estimate how much you're willing to pay (in both up-front fees and monthly fees) for wireless phone service.

Step2

Decide how much geographic coverage you need. Will you mostly be using your phone locally or will you also use it a lot when you travel?

Step3

Choose between digital and analog service. Digital service has more features (such as text paging and eavesdropping protection) than analog service, but it also usually costs more up front. However, digital could save you money if you use your phone extensively.

Step4

Search the yellow pages and Web listings for wireless-service providers. Review various pricing plans, paying particular attention to charges for 'roaming' (use outside the local area) and calling during peak hours.

Step5

Once you've found a plan that suits your price and needs, contact the company and follow its instructions about activating your service.

Tips & Warnings

Digital service has more features (such as text paging and eavesdrop protection) than analog service.
Digital service generally costs more up front than analog service. However, if you use your phone extensively, you could save $10 to $30 per month using digital service.
It is often helpful to purchase a cell phone and choose a service provider simultaneously. Sometimes services providers offer free phones or great deals on phones when you sign up for a plan.
Service providers sometimes offer deals including free phones or great discounts when you sign up for their plans. Look around for those.
Review the terms of the contract to see if there are early-cancellation fees.

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Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Some wireless providers offer a month to try the service before the cancellation fee applies. If you start with such a deal, you can get out without the cancellation fee if the coverage is poor or you don't like something else. Look for it!

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Also, if you switch rate plans, your one year starts over. The $150 cancel fee is not prorated either! Chose a provider that prorates the term fee and charges a reasonable amount for the phone! (ATTWS, Verizon, Sprint)

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Be careful of "free phone" deals. Most GSM providers will lock the phone to their system . I have 2 Pac Bell phones that after using the service for the 1 year, are "sim locked". PBW wants to charge me to unlock them. These phone were free.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Some plans offer no roaming charges for travel within North America. So if you are planning to use your cell outside of the local area code regularly, look for a plan with no roaming charges.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Most cellular phones are dual band: digital and analog. They will pick up the strongest signal, which is uaually digital. If no digital signal available, the phone will pick up an analog signal until a digital signal is available.

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