TRAC'S SIMON TO BE ON CBS MORNING NEWS
TRAC Publishes Tips on Cord Cutting
Washington DC -- Samuel A. Simon, Chairman of he Board of TRAC is scheduled to appear on CBS Morning News on Wednesday, August 4, 1999. The topic of the appearance will be whether consumers should consider using their wireless phone as their only phone. The segment is scheduled to air at 8:40 a.m.
According to a newly published study by the Yankee Group, 2% of all cellular customers in the United States do not have any other phone service. This trend toward "cord cutting" has been a topic of press interest since 1998. With the introduction of increased competition in wireless, rates have declined over 30% in the last few years, and they continue to fall. At the same time, costs of local service, mainly the add-on services such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, Three Way Calling and Call Forwarding are increasing. Moreover, monthly fees such as subscriber line charges, don't apply to wireless service.
"It is now possible for a consumer to not have a land line and save money," Simon will tell CBS Morning News. But there are a number of risks that you should consider before making the cut:
- Make sure your wireless phone works in all locations inside your home that you want it to. Many homes have basements or enclosed rooms where wireless phones may not work.
- Make sure your calling patterns fits the wireless plans that are available. Wireless still is based on per-minute usage charges. Heavy users of local service may not find cord cutting makes financial sense.
- Families with teenagers are likely not to fit the profile.
On the other hand, a number of strategies exist that might save consumers money, or provide increased connectivity at a nominal price:
- Cut one line. Many people have two land lines and a wireless phone. Consider cutting one of the lines and keep the wireless instead.
- Compare the prices. In some areas a regular line with all the features can cost as much as $50 a month, and all calling is extra. There are wireless plans for $30 or less that include 200 minutes of use, including long distance. Compare.
TRAC's new TeleTipsรค Cord Cutting Tips will be posted to the TRAC web site
http://www.trac.org following the CBS Morning News appearance.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
John Breyault, TRAC, johnb@trac.org, 202-263-2943
ABOUT TRAC:
The Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC), founded in 1983, is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington, DC that promotes the interests of residential telecommunications customers. TRAC staff researches telecommunications issues and publishes rate comparisons to help consumers make informed decisions regarding their long distance and local phone service options. TRAC can be found on the web at http://www.trac.org.
