How to Assess Your Cellular Service Needs

The best way to choose the right cellular service plan is

to weigh your needs against the cost of the service. But before you can do that, you must first determine how and when you will use your cell phone. Your answers to the following five questions will help you identify your phone habits and put you on the right track to choosing a plan:

Will I make calls in the evenings and on the weekends?

If you plan to use your wireless phone at night and on the weekends, your carrier may have attractive service options. Many carriers offer inexpensive packages with a generous amount of minutes or unlimited evening and weekend calls. You must first buy a standard service plan to qualify for these off-peak specials.

Will I make long-distance calls?

All wireless carriers include some kind of long-distance plan. Shop to find the one that meets your expected usage.

Will I share my phone minutes with someone else?

Some providers offer pooled-minutes plans. These plans allow two or more users to share the minutes in a plan. Each phone used with a pooled-minutes plan has a unique phone number.

How often do I travel?

People who use their phones while they are outside their local calling area might incur roaming charges. If you're a business traveler, consider switching to a plan that includes these charges in the basic monthly fee. Some large carriers offer national calling plans. Look for a plan with the coverage you need at a suitable price.

Do I make international calls?

If you make international calls, choose the best plan and remember to activate international calling. Some service providers disable international calling as a security feature, but your provider should activate it for free at your request. Since most prepaid plans don't include international calling features, make sure you choose one that lets you call abroad.

Content provided by TeleBright.com, a telecom e-marketplace for small business.