File spoon-archives/puptcrit.archive/puptcrit_2003/puptcrit.0304, message 22


Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 00:58:39 -0400
From: Joe <joe-AT-dunfee.com>
Subject: PUPT: Cell phones?


  Just wanted to update you on my decision. I ended up with the BASIC plan
with T-Mobil.  Free Phone $20/month with a 1-year contract, $35 activation
fee.  Because of my immediate need, I ended up getting it with a local
company, but if you can do it by web shopping and get an additional $25
rebate.  It is, by far, the cheapest for a regular cell phone rate. 50
anytime minutes, 500 weeknights/weekends with free long distance and no
roaming. The biggest catch is that it is only the digital coverage, which
doesn't cover a lot of the territory.  But it does cover most major cities
and interstates.  I only wanted it for my upcomming travels for a week or
two, but was able to cost justify it by using the long distance from home
over the year.

  Of course the biggest issue is how you use the phone.  A puppeteer who
travels a lot, and uses the cell phone a lot will want a plan with better
coverage. But if you want minimal day minutes, I think the plan I got is the
cheapest.  The next step up for all the plans start at $30.

  It certainly was a challenge to shop on the internet. As soon as you
choose your plan, and then want to change phones, the plan you wanted
disapears, or the rebate disapears.  There is also the issue of analog vs.
digital.  It is a very complex maze of choices. http://cellphones.about.com
seems to have the best impartial information.

  An alternative choice would be a prepaid phone. There are two brands out
there, and they are sold at WalMart. This is where you buy the phone (no
rebates or anything).  Then you buy prepaid phone cards as you want them.
The most basic start-up is around $100 ($60 phone plus $40 activation fee),
and they give you 30 minutes to start.  The smaller value cards ($15
minimum) will expire in 60 days, and if you let your phone expire, you must
pay the startup fee again to reactivate it.  So, the minimum maintenance is
$15 every 60 days.  The actual cost of airtime is around $0.40/minute.
Finally, it is not analog, so a long lonely road is unlikely to have
coverage.  In general, this seems to be a poor deal, but if you don't mind
the initial start-up expense, it is the absolute minimum for cell phone use
over the long term.

  One other interesting thing I learned is that cell phone companies are
required to answer any 911 call.  This means you can use a phone that is not
activated with any company and use it anywhere you can get a signal. So, if
you can get a used phone that is no longer activated, you can keep it as a
emergency phone system without getting any cellular service. Again, you
probably want the analog version to get the widest area of coverage.

  In the near future, there could be an interesting feature with GPS (Global
Positioning System) enabled phones. The government is requireing the GPS in
new phones so that the location of the caller can be identified for 911
calls.  It may also offer features like you calling another person and
sending your location which shows up on a map on their cell phone screen.
If you are lost and need directions, this could be very useful.

Joe Dunfee  joe-AT-dunfee.com
Strasburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.



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