Friday 10 July 2009

Learn More About Wireless Phone Plans

By Gareth J. Reese

Most people find wireless phone plans very confusing. Even those who are technically savvy do. My friend who works at a call center for T-Mobile surprised me with the complexity of the customer care software she uses. I don't mean to sound cocky but I am an embedded programmer which is the person who writes the programs that make cell phones work.

If you are a non-technical consumer looking to find the best fit in a wireless phone plan, no one will blame you for feeling confused. Picking a cell phone generally speaking is not difficult. But knowing which plan to pick can be a frustrating task that often leads to head ache.

The purpose of this article then is to offer some guidelines for selecting the ideal wireless phone plan in the United States. By "ideal" I mean the one that meets your on-the-go communication needs and suits your budget. It is not that difficult which is why the article is short. So let's get started, shall we?

Step 1 Understand that in most areas throughout the US as many as five providers compete for cellular phone services. Each of these providers offers several wireless phone plans that you can take into account.

Step 2 Know what "coverage" means and how much of it you deem essential. Coverage means a couple of things, really. It means where you call... Are the numbers you call local? Are they within your State but long distance? Are they, State to State? Are they long distance International? It also means, how much you move around... Do you roam from city to city a lot? As you can see, the wireless plan that you select must have good rates for the area and country codes that you call so that your lifestyle doesn't take its toll on your wallet.

Step 3 Consider how many minutes you plan to talk for each month. If you don't know, an easy way to find out is by looking at bills or prepaid card receipts from past months. This is an important statistic so it's worth putting some thought into it.

Step 4 Throw a glance at your cellular hand-held device now. If it is an entry-level phone then you probably want it for voice communication only. But if it is one of the higher-end cell phones with a touch screen and camera, you will likely be doing a lot of text messaging and sending/receiving emails. Not to mention Internet browsing. So you need to find economical rates for data transmission.

Step 5 Keep in mind that providers of wireless phone plans will often give you a discount if you purchase their plan. The best wireless plans have either one or two year contracts, as a rule of thumb. Be sure that you understand the Terms and Conditions of your contract in case you ever need to break it. More often than not, the penalty equals the monthly flat fee times the number of months left on the contract. You do not want to pay two hundred dollars or more just to cancel your service.

Step 6 Start your search at TMI Wireless and save time. This can easily be your one-stop station for your wireless needs. There you will find the latest phones and the plans from the nation's top wireless providers laid out in a logical way that is pure joy to navigate. In addition to cell phones, TMI Wireless also offers alarm systems, satellite systems and more. Take your time in browsing through this online store.

I sincerely hope that you got a lot out of this article and that it did not have serious omissions since I wrote it in haste. If you want to learn more general information about cell phones and wireless phone plans, there are many easy-to-read books on the subject that you will have no trouble finding in book store chains. But this is probably more than what you want for the time being, especially, if you want service immediately.

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