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OK! You're tired of looking for a phone booth in the rain, snow, wind
and dark! You're sick of paying those outrageous rates "Fly-By-Night Phones, Inc" charges
when you finally do find their booth! Perhaps you're a road warrior who
needs
to stay in touch with clients or the office or you just want to put those endless
travel hours to good use. Maybe you simply want the security of having
911 in
your pocket at all times or you want to look really cool and hip to whoever
is around. Are you about to making a killing in the market and need real
time stock
quotes and constant web access? Cellular service CAN provide all of this and
more but you need to do a little homework to find the service that fits
your needs. What about those package deals, cellular service and a telephone all for one price? If you choose the package that meets your needs up front, these are generally the best deal! Package deals can offer basic cellular service from less than $30 per month if you choose carefully. But first a little background... Analog or digital? Yes! Cellular phones are two way radio transmitters and receivers and the first designs used analog technology exclusively like most radio systems. Because they've been around the longest, analog networks offer service in virtually all populated areas of the US and, unlike digital phones, an analog phone is compatible with most of the numerous analog networks. The newer digital phones offer several advantages over analog models like enhanced sound quality, security, and privacy, data transmission capabilities, and extended battery life. Unfortunately, they also include two big disadvantages. There are presently several incompatible networks that will only communicate with phones designed to work with their network (VHS and Beta again!). Also, these digital networks, like most communication networks, are evolving from the most densely populated urban areas to suburban areas, and then into rural areas as demand dictates, so digital cellular coverage is more "spotty", available in fewer areas and/or smaller areas. Many of the cell phones now being sold include support for both analog networks and for one or more digital networks as well, and for most shoppers this is likely to be the best choice. What else do I need to know before I "go wireless"? For your cellular phone to be useful, obviously you must be within the range of a "radio station" that can communicate with your phone, called the coverage area. Analog coverage now extends across nearly the entire US but… Most cellular service calling plans will include a "home area" in which you can make calls for a basic cost per minute rate offered with your plan. Your cellular service will be extended beyond this home area through agreements that your provider has with other providers but "roaming charges" and other charges usually apply. In addition to roaming charges, you may pay long distance rates and airtime rates for calls outside of your home area. Airtime? You will pay for your cellular usage based on how much you use it, by the minute, similar to a long distance service and airtime is most commonly billed in one minute increments. Click here for an example of a coverage area map. This one is for Verizon's national network. This is an extensive network but notice that the digital services (shown in red) are not as widely available as voice services (shown in pink). With this wireless plan you can only get your e-mail and stock quotes in limited areas, but you can call somebody to read them to you from nearly anywhere. Where and how you plan to use your phone are the most important things to consider when shopping. Many larger cities may offer 50 or more calling plans and some small or isolated rural areas may not offer service at all. A visit to the Cognigen Wireless web site will provide a list of the leading cellular offerings in your area. Enter your zip code and click on "Go." Click "Select Another Carrier" to view the companies offering service in your area. Choose a company and examine their Coverage Map to insure the company you prefer offers service in the areas where you'll need it. Coverage areas are usually surprisingly large, amorphous areas that don't correspond to any of the boundaries people usually use. If the area where you expect to do most of your calling from is not covered under this calling plan or does not include a service you need, select another plan and check their coverage. Each company's network varies in their coverage areas and chances are good that you'll find something that will meet your needs. Cellular phones now offer all of the features available for wired phones, including call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, voice mail and more. Some digital capable cell phones also include a camera, speakerphone, e-mail or Internet access. Keep in mind that as features are added, the price of your phone can skyrocket (what if you lose it, drop it, or Junior gives it a bath?) so choose carefully. Most cellular calling plans offer several phones at various price points that include more features as the price escalates. Also, keep in mind that these features, which have become very inexpensive for your home phone, can add dramatically to the monthly cost of your cell phone. Cognigen's web site includes a convenient comparison area comparing their phone prices and features. Obviously, there are many factors to consider before going wireless and this page touches on a few of them. The Wireless Advisor offers a good "Intro To Wireless" and, as you've already seen, the Cognigen Wireless web site offers a handy comparison shopping feature. We highly recommend it for refining your selection! |
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