GOING WIRELESS: CONSUMER TIPS FOR USING WIRELESS PHONES WITHOUT A WIRELESS SERVICE PROVIDER
WASHINGTON DC -- Wireless technology is improving every day and consumers are facing an increasing array of options and services. TRAC has been following wireless technology for two years. In the April 1999 edition of Bottom Line's "Tomorrow," TRAC was quoted as one of their "Hot Tips" with this piece of advice:
You don't need to pay a monthly service fee to use a cell phone to make emergency calls. Nor do you always need a service provider to make credit card calls by cell phone. Buy a cell phone with no service contract and you can use it for emergencies only. The phone itself, however, will cost you more than if you agree to a service contract. But look into getting a used, deactivated cell phone at a garage sale or pawn shop. These can be had for as little as $5.00 or $10.00.
Of course, if you intend to use a wireless phone for making routine calls or for business purposes, you need to sign-up for a service provider. However, if you really, really just want a phone for emergencies, you do not have to have a service contract with a cellular provider for a phone to reach 911. You can simply buy the phone, charge the battery and turn it on. When you need to reach 911, simply dial it and you will be connected, even though you do not have a service provider. You don't pay monthly fees to any one and you do not pay for the 911 call.
If you plan to do this, there are a couple of things you should know:
- Make sure the telephone is programmed to log on to the strongest available signal. You can do this by selecting a setting in your cellular telephone set-up capabilities. The terms used to get the right setting will vary from phone to phone. The goal is to have the phone select automatically EITHER the A system OR the B system. This generally refers to either the local telephone company system or the primary competitive system. Some phones use the phrase "automatic" to indicate automatic selection of the strongest system.
- Avoid setting the phone to only ONE system. This can be important in trying to reach 911. Cell phones can be set to look only for the service provider who sells the service. If this was done when the phone was first purchased, then when you are out of range of one of their towers (even if you are still in the city where you bought the phone), your phone will show "out of service" or "out of range." In that case, whether you have a service provider or not, 911 may not work! If the phone is set as described above to look for either A or B, then when you lose the signal from the chosen carrier, your phone would show "roaming" again even if you are in the city where you bought the phone.
Using the same phone to dial a phone number other than 911 won't always work, but in many, if not most, places it will, for either credit card calls, phone company calling card calls or for collect calls. Here is how that will work:
- Some providers, such as Cellular One, will let you "roam" in their service territory and charge your calls to a credit card. Simply turn on the phone and dial the desired number. You will get a recording and then either an operator will come on the line to take your credit card information, or you will be put into an automated verification system. Once you provide your credit information, you will be allowed to make a call. If you try this, and do not get a service operator or the company says it doesn't offer this service, you can try the competing company in the area by changing your phone setting. Go into the system set-up menu on your phone, and find out which system you had been using (A or B). Then program or select to use the other system "only." Turn the phone off and on and dial the number again.
- Remember, though, roaming on credit cards is going to be very, very expensive. Roaming charges usually involve a $3.00 to $5.00 a day fee, plus rates of about $1.00 a minute. In the Washington, DC area, for example Bell Atlantic Mobile charges about $2.00 a minute, plus a $1.00 service charge per call for this service. Nevertheless, if you use the phone only for emergencies, you can reach someone when you need them or call for assistance even though your phone isn't registered with a service provider
For most people today, picking a wireless phone with a service provide is the best way to go. If you really just want a phone for emergency purposes, though, you probably can do it without signing up with any cellular provider. This can save you from $20 to $30 a month, plus taxes. Buy a cellular telephone from any outlet, but do not register the phone with any carrier. The phone will cost your more, perhaps as much as $120.00. Or look for those spare phones that people who are switching from analogue to digital have laying around the house or are selling at yard sales. They will do fine.
Here are some resources for more information on wireless service:
http://www.wirelessdimension.com/ (Commercial Site with Rate Comparisons)
http://www.wow-com.com/ (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association)
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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.
