WIRELESS WATCH
Memorial Day Calling Not Free for Most Wireless Users - Many of the millions of wireless users hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend may be surprised to find out that most wireless carriers do not consider Memorial Day as part of the “night and weekend” calling period. Wireless carriers typically offer many plans that include unlimited "night and weekend" calling as opposed to "anytime" calling which counts against users' monthly minute limits. Most wireless carriers classify "night and weekend" calling periods as 9:00 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday. Weekday calls from 7:00 a.m. to 6:59 p.m. therefore count as "anytime" minutes and are deducted from monthly minute limits. Among the major national wireless carriers, only Verizon Wireless will treat all calls on Memorial Day as “night and weekend” calling. Included “night and weekend” minutes are especially handy for users who want to save money on long distance by making their out-of-town phone calls during these periods on their wireless phones instead of paying the per-minute rates of most long distance plans. Unfortunately for those consumers that will be enjoying Memorial Day picnics, calls to friends and family on Monday will most likely be costing you “anytime” minutes. To avoid expensive monthly overages take a minute or two and check your minute balance with your wireless provider. Refer to the provider list below for the numbers to enter into your wireless phone to get the estimated monthly airtime usage since your last billing:
- Alltel: #MOU (#668) + Send
- Cingular: *MIN# (*646#) + Send
- Nextel: 612 + Send
- Sprint PCS: *4 + Send, then follow voice prompts (*5 en español)
- T-Mobile: #MIN# (#646#) + Send
- Verizon Wireless: #MIN (#646) + Send
CPSC Issues Guidelines for Wireless Phone Battery Safety - Reports of consumers being injured by defective or counterfeit wireless phone batteries recently prompted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a safety alert. Among the Commission’s recommendations are cautions against using Web sites or second-hand dealers for purchasing replacement batteries and chargers. These vendors typically are not affiliated with or monitored by the wireless phone manufacturers of the products they sell . There is little or no guarantee of quality or compatibility. Consumers should check with the manufacturer of their wireless phone before buying any battery or charger from these dealers. The CPSC also recommends that users keep their wireless phone batteries away from hot cooking surfaces, radiators, irons, or wet locations since these situations could damage the battery, potentially leading to a spark-producing short-circuit or worse. Consumers who remove their battery from their phone should also avoid letting the battery touch metal objects such as coins, keys, and jewelry. For additional information on how you can prevent wireless battery injury, click herei.
TRAC AND YOU
What Would It Take For You to Try VoIP? - Recent FCC action will require that all VoIP service providers who link to the local telephone network offer 911 service to their subscribers, and eventually the enhanced or E911 service. Is this enough to make you considerVoIP telephone service as a replacement for your traditional landline phone? If you’ve considered switching to VoIP in the past but didn’t, what held you back? If you did switch, what motivated you to dive in to VoIP? Has VoIP lived up to your expectations? Let us know about your experiences with VoIP by e-mailing TRAC at trac@trac.org. We’ll choose the best responses and include them in a future edition of TRACNotes.
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page: http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions: http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15
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©2005 Telecommunications Research and Action Center. TRAC grants unlimited rights to reproduce TRACNotes or any information contained in it provided attribution is given as follows: "Source: Telecommunications Research and Action Center. http://www.trac.org"
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