Everything You Need to Choose the Right Brandwith the Right Feature Sets for Your Needsbull Complete Coverage of All Major Vendor Phones
and Service Plans Including Nokia MotorolaSprint EricssonVerizon ATampT WirelessNextel and More
bull Answers Your Questions About Family PlansRoaming Packages and Prepaid Plans
bull Tells You What ldquoFree Long Distancerdquo Really Means and Deciphers Misleading or Confusing Service Plans
GetConnected IncJeff McLaughlinBeverly LeDonne
Consumerrsquos Guide to
1 YEAR UPGRADEB U Y E R P R O T E C T I O N P L A N
solutio n s s y n g r e s s c o m
With more than 1500000 copies of our MCSE MCSD CompTIA andCisco study guides in print we continue to look for ways we canbetter serve the information needs of our readers One way we dothat is by listening
Readers like yourself have been telling us they want an Internet-based service that would extend and enhance the value of ourbooks Based on reader feedback and our own strategic plan wehave created a Web site that we hope will exceed your expectations
Solutionssyngresscom is an interactive treasure trove of usefulinformation focusing on our book topics and related technologiesThe site offers the following features
One-year warranty against content obsolescence due tovendor product upgrades You can access online updates forany affected chapters
ldquoAsk the Authorrdquo customer query forms that enable you topost questions to our authors and editors
Exclusive monthly mailings in which our experts provideanswers to reader queries and clear explanations of complexmaterial
Regularly updated links to sites specially selected by our edi-tors for readers desiring additional reliable information onkey topics
Best of all the book yoursquore now holding is your key to this amazingsite Just go to wwwsyngresscomsolutions and keep this bookhandy when you register to verify your purchase
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve your needs Andbe sure to let us know if therersquos anything else we can do to helpyou get the maximum value from your investment Wersquore listening
wwwsyngresscomsolutions
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 157 PM Page i
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 157 PM Page ii
Consumerrsquos Guide to
GetConnected Inc
Jeff McLaughlin
Beverly LeDonne
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page iii
Syngress Publishing Inc the author(s) and any person or firm involved in the writing editingor production (collectively ldquoMakersrdquo) of this book (ldquothe Workrdquo) do not guarantee or warrant theresults to be obtained from the Work
There is no guarantee of any kind expressed or implied regarding the Work or its contentsTheWork is sold AS IS and WITHOUT WARRANTY You may have other legal rights which varyfrom state to state
In no event will Makers be liable to you for damages including any loss of profits lost savings orother incidental or consequential damages arising out from the Work or its contents Becausesome states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidentaldamages the above limitation may not apply to you
You should always use reasonable care including backup and other appropriate precautionswhen working with computers networks data and files
Syngress Mediareg SyngressregldquoAsk the Author UPDATEregrdquo and ldquoCareer Advancement ThroughSkill Enhancementregrdquo are registered trademarks of Syngress Publishing IncldquoMission CriticaltraderdquoldquoHack Proofingtraderdquo and ldquoThe Only Way to Stop a Hacker is to Think Like Onetraderdquo are trademarksof Syngress Publishing Inc Brands and product names mentioned in this book are trademarks orservice marks of their respective companies
KEY SERIAL NUMBER001 H3N5A7S9C9002 M93C5S5SB2003 CMN23CBN25004 JRN21AEN54005 DEN55KJN81006 ACS26DMD27007 QRD34MNB54008 D94H97S983009 EMS36JVP35010 W2KNOAD147
PUBLISHED BYSyngress Publishing Inc800 Hingham StreetRockland MA 02370
The Consumerrsquos Guide to Wireless Phones and Service Plans
Copyright copy 2002 by Syngress Publishing IncAll rights reserved Printed in the United Statesof America Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 no part of this publicationmay be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a database orretrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher with the exception thatthe program listings may be entered stored and executed in a computer system but they maynot be reproduced for publication
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
ISBN 1-928994-52-0
Technical Editor GetConnected Inc Freelance Editorial Manager Maribeth Corona-EvansCo-Publisher Richard Kristof Cover Designer Michael KavishAcquisitions Editor Catherine B Nolan Page Layout and Design Reuben Kantor Indexer Rich Carlson Copy EditorAdrienne Rebello
Distributed by Publishers Group West in the United States and Jaguar Book Group in Canada
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page iv
v
Syngress Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the following people for their kindnessand support in making this book possible
Karen Cross Lance Tilford Meaghan Cunningham Kim Wylie HarryKirchner Kevin Votel Kent Anderson and Frida Yara of PublishersGroup West for sharing their incredible marketing experience andexpertise
Mary Ging Caroline Hird Simon Beale Caroline WheelerVictoriaFuller Jonathan Bunkell and Klaus Beran of Harcourt Internationalfor making certain that our vision remains worldwide in scope
Annabel Dent of Harcourt Australia for all their help
David BucklandWendi Wong Daniel Loh Marie Chieng LucyChong Leslie LimAudrey Gan and Joseph Chan of TransquestPublishers for the enthusiasm with which they receive our books
Kwon Sung June at Acorn Publishing for his support
Ethan Atkin at Cranbury International for his help in expanding theSyngress program
A special thank you to Janis Carpenter at PGWThank you for yourexcellent service and all your kind words Janis
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page v
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page vi
vii
We would like to thank three special GetConnected customer servicegurus for their help in compiling the information for this bookMartinVeronica and Ali have been working tirelessly to make sure ourcustomers get all the answers they need to make their telecom pur-chase painless and simpleTheir industry expertise is truly a hugeadvantage that our customers enjoy when researching and buying anytelecom servicemdashthey know all from wireless to DSL to long distanceThey are inspirational in their ability to switch from one incrediblycomplex topic to the next without missing a beat
We also could not have completed this work without the supportof the entire team at GetConnected From our marketing staff to ourprogrammers everyone here has devoted themselves to the mission offinding the right type of communication services for every customerwho comes to our site and making sure everyone has the best infor-mation possible to choose the best service for their hard-earnedmoney
Special thanks to the co-founders of GetConnected IncTracyLawrence and Sasha NovakovichThese two had the vision to createan electronic resource to help consumers get the most telecommuni-cations service for their moneyWe are proud to be able to extendtheir vision into this Guide for wireless consumers
Thanks and Acknowledgments
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page vii
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page viii
ix
About GetConnected Inc
Founded in 1999 GetConnected Inc provides a suite of softwaretools that facilitate the sale of wireless broadband local phone longdistance cable and satellite television services
The Telecommunications Deregulation Act of 1996 was the cata-lyst for a proliferation of telecommunications services which madethe process of selecting the best providers and plans a daunting taskfor consumersThe Internet offered a tremendous opportunity forconsumers to easily find and compare all options available to themand make the right choice through an informative and intuitive elec-tronic shopping processThe Internet was also the ideal medium tohelp telecommunications service providers cost effectively acquirecustomers wwwGetConnectedcom resulted from the confluenceof these three market forces
Named by Newsweek as one of the 103 Best Web Sites and by PCWorld as Best Cell Phone Site GetConnectedcom the showcase ofthe GetConnected functionality is an easy-to-use Web site thatempowers users with the information necessary to help them selectthe services that best meet their individual needs In addition to beinga source of the most comprehensive and accurate information avail-able the GetConnected site shopping technology and transactionprocessing capability make the purchase process simple and straight-forward Consumers are shown all plans products and special offersavailable in their area GetConnectedcom also provides highly intu-itive and interactive wizards and bill calculators that allow the user tocustomize searches and make it easier to locate and buy the mostsuitable plansThe end result Consumers get the most for theirtelecommunication dollar
GetConnected Inc offers consumers and small businesses access toits services directly through its Web site wwwGetConnectedcom andthrough a network of partner Web sites Consumers will also be able toaccess the GetConnected telecommunication shopping services in pri-vate labeled applications at retail where GetConnected will power theshopping experience and order processing for its retail partners
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page ix
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page x
xi
Contributors
Jeff McLaughlin is the Senior Director of Wireless Partnerships forGetConnected Inc and is part of the senior management team Hehas been in the wireless industry since 1994 working for wireless car-riers wireless vendors and wireless agents Jeff is responsible forsecuring partnerships with all the wireless service providers forGetConnected and for leading the strategic wireless initiatives withcarriers manufacturers and other wireless industry players Prior toGetConnected Jeff was Director of Corporate Marketing for BostonCommunications Group Inc a leading provider of prepaid servicestechnology to wireless carriers and Business Products Manager forATampT Wireless one of the leading wireless carriers in the UnitedStates He received his MBA from Seattle University and his BSfrom Northeastern University Boston MA
Beverly LeDonne is the Senior Director of Content Services andBusiness Operations for GetConnected Inc and is part of the seniormanagement team Beverly is responsible for implementing new part-nerships and leading innovative initiatives in data management andpresentation Prior to GetConnected Beverly managed 200 employeesand an over $30 million PampL as Division Manager atAPCOAStandard Parking the largest parking management serviceorganization in the United States She received her MBA fromLouisiana State University and her BA from Thomas More CollegeMerrimack NH
Leslie Kiddie is the eCommerce Product Manager forGetConnected Inc Leslie is currently responsible for company-wideproduct management including specification and site and systemmetric analysisAs one of GetConnectedrsquos first employees she laid thegroundwork for identifying what wireless data should be collected andpresented to consumers She also created the initial process fordefining tools and Web functionality to help GetConnected customersshop for wireless plans and products Before joining the GetConnected
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page xi
xii Contributors
team Leslie worked as a research analyst for Harris Interactive inRochester NY Leslie earned her BS in Communications from JamesMadison University HarrisonburgVA
James Parmakian is Manager of Content and Creative Initiativesfor GetConnected Inc and has been involved in the Internet industrysince 1998 James is responsible for creating and maintaining wirelessand other product and service plan images and information on theGetConnected network of sites He also develops creative for the sitemarketing outreach efforts and co-brand site development Prior toGetConnected James developed and executed strategies for leadingInternet companies including iVillagecomAboutcom and Officecomat Cone a leading public relations firm James received his BS fromBoston College Chestnut Hill MA
Melissa Paulsen has been instrumental in developing new function-ality to create an intuitive shopping experience as Content Manager forGetConnected Inc Melissarsquos efforts help getconnectedcom usersquickly find the most appropriate wireless plans and other telecommu-nications services Melissa is currently responsible for establishing andmaintaining service plan promotion and static data (including variousresources tools and companyservice provider overviews) throughoutgetconnectedcom and for itrsquos partnersrsquoWeb sites She earned herdouble-major BA in Psychology and Social Rehabilitation with a con-centration in Education from Assumption CollegeWorcester MA
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_ aFMqk 111201 158 PM Page xii
Using PrepaidWireless
Prepaid wireless is agreat way to get awireless phone with nocredit history no creditcard and for a shortperiod of use
xiii
Foreword xxiii
Part IGeneral Information 1Chapter 1 How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service 3
Introduction 4In the Beginning
An Introduction to Wireless 5The Basics 6The Digital Age 6
Getting Started 7Assessing Your Coverage Needs 8
Your Friends Are Your Best Resource 9Which Comes First the Phone or
the Service 9What Features Do You Need in a
Wireless Phone 10What about the Technical Side of
the Phone 11Usage Considerations 11
Your Day-to-Day Use 12The Bottom Line Understanding Cost 13
How Much to Spend on the Phone 13How Much to Spend on the Rate Plan 14
Bargain Shopping Understanding Promotions 14Bells and Whistles Looking at Accessories 15Making Sense of It AllThe Phone and
Plan for Me 16Summary 17Quick Reference 18
Contents
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xiii
Exploring Internet-Ready Phones
The Samsung N200Internet-Ready Phone
xiv Contents
Chapter 2 Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference 21
Introduction 22Evolution of the Wireless Phone 22Exploring Analog Technology 24Examining Digital Technology 26The Pros and Cons of Digital 26
Advantages of Digital Phones 27Disadvantages of Digital Phones 28
Summary 29Quick References 29
Chapter 3 CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions 31
Introduction 32Code Division Multiple Access 33
Benefits of CDMA 34Global Systems for Mobile
Communications 35Benefits of GSM 35
Time Division Multiple Access 36Benefits of TDMA 37
Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio 37Benefits of ESMR 38
Service Providers and Technologies 38Summary 40Quick References 40
Chapter 4 Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It 43
Introduction 44What Is the Wireless Internet 44
How Does It Work 44What Kind of Phone Do I Need 47What Services Can I Get from
the Wireless Carriers 49What Services Can I Get from Third Parties 50
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xiv
UnderstandingWireless Phones
Phones on the markettoday fall into threecategories
bull Single Mode bull Dual Modebull Tri-Mode
wwwgetconnectedcom
Wireless Data and Fax 51Summary 53Quick References 53
Part IIEquipment 55Chapter 5 The Components of a Wireless Phone 57
Introduction 58The Basics 58
Display Screen 59Antenna 59Menu Selection and Scroll Keys 60Other Keys 60Battery 61Jacks 61
A Beginnerrsquos Guide to Phone Features 62Standard Features 62Features Requiring Service 65Advanced Features Requiring Service 66
The Cutting Edge 67Summary 69Quick References 69
Chapter 6 Guide to Wireless Phones 71
Introduction 72Size and Weight 72
Large Phones 72Medium-Sized Phones 74Small or Compact Phones 75
Networks Available 76Single Mode 76Dual Mode 76Tri-Mode 76
Case Design 77Traditional Style 77Flip Style 78
Contents xv
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xv
xvi Contents
Color 78Cost 80Talk Time and Standby Time 80Popular Wireless Phones 81
The Ericsson R289LX 82The Kyocera QCP-2035 83The Kyocera QCP-6035 84The Mitsubishi T250 85The Motorola i1000plus 86The Motorola i2000 87The Motorola i550plus 88The Motorola i700plus 89The Motorola V2397 90The Nokia 3360 91The Nokia 5165 92The Nokia 6160 93The Nokia 8260 94The Panasonic Allure 95The Panasonic Versio 96The Samsung N200 97The Samsung Uproar MP3 98The Sanyo SCP-5000 99The Sanyo SCP-6000 100The Sprint Touchpoint 1100 101The Sprint Touchpoint 2100 102Sprint Touchpoint 2200 103The Sprint Touchpoint 5200 104
Summary 105Quick References 105
Chapter 7 Accessories for Your Wireless Phone 107
Introduction 108Hands-Free Kits 108Cases and Belt Clips 109Chargers 111Batteries 113Faceplates 113Summary 114Quick References 114
wwwgetconnectedcom
Exploring WirelessPhone Batteries
There are threestandard wirelessphone batteries
bull NiCad An oldertechnology withsome technicalproblems
bull NiMH A newertechnology that doesnot suffer frommemory effects
bull Li-Ion A long lastingand light batterythat does not sufferfrom memory effects
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xvi
Contents xvii
Part IIIService Plans and Rates 117Chapter 8 Understanding Service Plans 119
Introduction 120Understanding Basic Plan Structures 121
Local Plans 121Regional Plans 123National Plans without Roaming Charges 123National Plans with Roaming Charges 124
Breaking Down Wireless Plans and Fees 124Additional Plan Features and Fees 127
The Prepaid Option 128Summary 131Quick References 131
Chapter 9 Service Providers and Service Areas 133
Introduction 134What Services Are Available to You 134
Wireless Service Providers 134Finding Service Providers in Your Area 135
Service Areas 136Local Coverage 136Regional Coverage 139National Coverage 139
Quality of Service 140Why Is Service Quality Inconsistent 141Who Has the Best Service 142
Wireless Carrier Directory 144Verizon Wireless 145Cingular Wireless 146ATampT Wireless 147Sprint PCS 148Nextel 149Alltel 150VoiceStreamreg 151US Cellular 152Qwest 153
wwwgetconnectedcom
Comparing ServiceProviders
Verizon Wireless
bull 28000000subscribers
bull 26 market sharebull Web site http
verizonwirelesscom
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xvii
Exploring DomesticRoaming Options
As with any othercalling feature pricesand options fordomestic roaming varyby where you live andwhich service provideryou choose If you arethe type of person thattravels within theUnited States quiteoften you should lookfor a plan that offersthe following
bull Coverage with noroaming costs in thecities and townsfrom which you willbe making your calls
bull Low roaming costsper minute withroaming coverage inall the areas towhich you will travel
bull A service that willwork when outsideyour home area at alltimes Some newwireless services offerunlimited local callingfor a flat fee permonth but do notoffer the ability toroam outside of yourlocal area
xviii Contents
Triton PCS 154Western Wireless 155Dobson Communication Corp 155Telecorp 155Century Telephone 155Centennial Cellular 155Rural Cellular Corporation 155Cricket 156Cincinnati Bell Wireless 156
Summary 157Quick Reference 157
Chapter 10 Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options 159
Introduction 160What Is Roaming 160Domestic Roaming Options 161
ATampT WirelessATampT Digital One Rate Plans 162
Sprint PCS Real Nationwide Long Distance 163
Verizon Wireless National SingleRateSM 163
International Roaming Options 164Nextel WorldwideSM 165ATampT WorldConnectreg Service 166VoiceStream 166WorldCell 166
Guide to International Wireless Carriers 167Summary 169Quick References 169
Chapter 11 Understanding Special Deals and Promotions 171
Introduction 172Types of Promotions 172
Service Credits 172Rebates 173
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xviii
Contents xix
More MinutesldquoSign Now and Get 1000 More Minutesrdquo 173
Free Advanced ServicesldquoGet One Year of MusicPlayer Free (A $120 Value)rdquo 173
Contract Length-Based IncentivesldquoSign Up for a One-Year Contract and Get Free Long Distancerdquo 174
Free AccessoriesldquoSign Up Now and Get a Free Headset Kitrdquo 174
Helpful Hints 175Limited Time Offer 175Plan Restrictions 175Phone Restrictions 175Minutes 175Services Yoursquoll Never Use 176
Summary 177Quick References 177
Part IVLooking Ahead 179Chapter 12 Frequently Asked Questions 181
Introduction 182Frequently Asked Questions about Phones 182
What are the differences between analog and digital phones 182
What is the difference between PCS and cellular 182
What is Third Generation 183What is a dual-band phone 183What battery has the longest life
NiMH or Li-Ion 183What is the difference between
talk time and standby time 183Frequently Asked Questions about
Service Rates and Plans 183Why is the quality of my wireless
service sometimes inconsistent 184
wwwgetconnectedcom
Answers to YourFrequently AskedQuestions
What Is the Differencebetween PCS andCellular
bull Phones that operateon a PCS system(personalcommunicationsservice) use digitaltechnology and offeradvanced featureslike caller ID
bull Cellular phones useeither digital oranalog technologyor both
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xix
xx Contents
Which wireless carrier has the best signal strength 184
What is roaming 184If it is called a nationwide plan then
why are there roaming charges 184What plans do not charge for
roaming 185How do I know which mode my
phone is in 185What do peak and off-peak hours
indicate 185How do service providers count
anytime minutes versus evening and weekend minutes 185
Do I get charged when people call me 185Does it use up my minutes when I
call other wireless phones 186When I call my voice mail am I
using my minutes 186What is considered a long distance call 186
Are toll free number calls free 186What is the farthest I can call from
my wireless phone 186Can all cellular phones be used
worldwide 187More Frequently Asked Questions 187
Can I just keep the phone I have and change plans 187
Can I change my service plan at any time 187
Can I keep my phone number if I move or switch wireless carriers 187
If I donrsquot like my phone numbercan I change it 188
Do I have to sign a contract 188Why do I need a credit card to
buy a phone 188Are rebates for phones instant or
mail-in 188
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xx
Contents xxi
Chapter 13 The Future of Wireless Communications 189
Introduction 190As Use Increases Prices Fall 190What to Consider before Throwing
Away Your Home Phone 191Wireless as the Only Communications
Network 192Combining All Your Devices 1933GmdashThe Third Generation of Wireless 194Summary 195Quick References 195
Appendix A Glossary of Wireless Terms 197
Appendix B How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site 209
Introduction 210Home Page 210Wireless Home Page 211
Havenrsquot Decided Which Plan Is for You Start Here 212
Picking a Plan 213Browsing by Plans 213
Picking a Phone 215Browsing by Phones 215
Choosing Accessories 216Your Shopping Cart 218Ordering at GetConnected Inc 218Checklist 219
Index 221
wwwgetconnectedcom
Using Wireless
The average monthlycost for wireless use isaround $40 but variesfrom less than $20 forlittle use to over $100for heavy use
AboutGetConnectedcom
wwwGetConnectedcom sells a variety oftelecommunicationservices from wirelessphones to high-speedInternet to longdistance service
The GetConnectedcom Home Page
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xxi
165_cell_ bTOCqk 111201 159 PM Page xxii
Telecommunications consumers are paying between 50 and 500 toomuch every month for the services that keep them in touch in-tune andinformedWhy would anyone pay $030 per minute for long distance whenthey could pay just $005 The answer is because there has not been a goodway to determine the correct services based on the way you use yourphone or your high-speed Internet access or your wireless phone
The Consumerrsquos Guide to Wireless Phones and Service Plans will help youdetermine what you need in a wireless phone and service planThe infor-mation in this Guide is compiled from the data that GetConnected Inccollects directly from the wireless service providers and the tools that wehave developed to help direct you to the perfect plan and phone On ourWeb site wwwGetConnectedcom you can easily compare the data side byside and use these tools to optimize your choices Both on our Web site andin this book we help lead you through the maze of offerings based on howyou will use your phone to make sure that you spend wisely to take advan-tage of todayrsquos great wireless services
There is no reason that you should buy a $200 phone and pay $75 permonth if you only need to use your phone in the case of an emergencyAreyou a techno-savvy road warrior or a minimalist Do you need a wirelessphone that lets you read and send e-mail or do you just need it to call forroadside assistance Will you use your phone only as you drive around yourtown or will you need it to work in Paris All these questions will beanswered to make sure you buy the phone and service plan that are rightfor you
Wireless is everywheremdashif you donrsquot own a wireless phone you haveprobably used one If you havenrsquot used a wireless phone you most certainlyhave seen people using themThe number of people in the United States whoown wireless phones is well over 100 million and growing steadilyAt around40 to 50 US market penetration we are actually behind most Europeancountries In Finland the home country of Nokia the leading wireless phonemanufacturer over 70 of people own wireless phonesTodayrsquos wirelessphones can give you access to the Internet e-mail your calendar from work
xxiii
Foreword
165_cell_ cForewardqk 111201 200 PM Page xxiii
xxiv Foreword
and even the documents you keep on your computer every dayThe com-bination of voice and data services is quickly evolving wireless phones intopocket-sized all-in-one communications and productivity tools
GetConnected is committed to helping you shop for compare andbuy the perfect telecommunications services mdashincluding all your wirelessneeds Our team of wireless experts who made this book possible con-tinually upload information from numerous carriers and monitor the Webto make sure that we have the latest information on wireless phones rateplans accessories and promotionsThe combination of wwwgetcon-nectedcom and this Guide will help you buy a wireless phone and ser-vice plan that will meet your needs but wonrsquot break your wallet
Special thanks to Bev Leslie James Melissa and Jeff for all their hardwork compiling current information for this book and for alwaysfocusing on ways to help consumers select the perfect wireless phone andservice planAfter all that is GetConnectedrsquos missionmdashto help you findand buy the telecommunications services that fit your needs
So whatever your needs are for wireless service this Guide willhelp point you to the correct purchases In order to see the most up-to-date offers from all major wireless service providers in the UnitedStates be sure to check wwwgetconnectedcomWhile you are therehave a look at the other great telecommunications offers for high-speedInternet access (DSL and cable modems) long distance local phonesatellite TV and handheld PDAsmdashwe can definitely help you get themost for your telecommunications dollar
Enjoy this Guide to Wireless and do not hesitate to referenceGetConnectedcom for the latest rate plan product pricing and promo-tion information as you get closer to your purchase
Sasha Novakovich Tracy Lawrence President amp Co-Founder CEO amp Co-FounderGetConnected Inc GetConnected Inc
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_ cForewardqk 111201 200 PM Page xxiv
General Information
Part I
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 1
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 2
Quick References in this chapter
In the Beginning An Introduction to Wireless
Getting Started
Assessing Your Coverage Needs
What Comes First the Phone or theService
Usage Considerations
The Bottom Line Understanding Cost
Bargain Shopping Looking at Promotions
Bells and Whistles Looking at Accessories
Making Sense of it All The Phone and Planfor Me
Summary
Quick References
3
How to Choose aWireless Phoneand Service
Chapter 1
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 3
4 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
IntroductionThe only answer to the question ldquoWhich wireless phone should I buyrdquois unfortunatelyldquoIt dependsrdquoThere are so many choices out there todaythat the only way to select the perfect phone for you is to look at manydifferent factorsmdashput yourself in the middle of the process and figure outhow you will use the phone where and when you will make most ofyour calls and how much you want to spend
The first thing to realize is that the phone is only as good as thenetwork on which it works In the ldquoold daysrdquo of wireless a single phonewould work on either of the two cellular networks So when youplunked down your $1000 for that huge phone and another $80 permonth with wireless carrier A if you did not find their service to yourliking you could walk across the street to their only competitor andswitch to the competitorrsquos network using the same phoneThat doesnrsquotwork any more
In the early 1990s competitors for the two original cellular compa-nies started to spring upmdashthey were called PCS or PersonalCommunication Services carriersThe only difference between cellularand PCS is that cellular started out transmitting your call using analogtechnology and PCS started out using all digital transmissions Cellularcompanies have all gone over to digital technologies (see Chapter 2ldquoAnalog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Differencerdquo for more information onanalog versus digital technologies) so there really is no differencebetween the original cellular carriers and the newer totally digital PCScarriers any more One of the things that digital technology allows thecarriers to do is to sell phones that will work only on their networkmdashsothe days of walking across the street to sign up on someone elsersquos net-work with the same phone are pretty much gone
Thinking about making the switch to wireless full time andditching your home phone completely Well you are not alone but youare among a small group of techno-savvy users who are foregoing thewires for the freedom of wirelessAnd why not If you buy a wirelessplan with 3000 minutes of use included you have to use them sometime right Just beware the pitfalls discussed in Chapter 13ldquoTheFuture of Wirelessrdquo So what factors do you need to consider whenbuying that perfect wireless phone There are basically six steps that wewill detail in this chapter
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 4
wwwgetconnectedcom
1 Look for service providers with Coverage in your areamdashWhere will you use your phone and which wireless carrier hasthe best service there
2 Choose the wireless Phone you want andor needmdashDo youneed all the latest options or do you just need to make calls inan emergency
3 Make sure you know how you will Use your wirelessphonemdashHow many minutes will you use each month and atwhat time of the day will you use the most minutes Will youcall locally or long distance
4 Be aware of how much buying and using wireless will CostmdashHow much are you willing to spend on the monthly serviceand on the phone
5 Look for special PromotionsmdashAre there any great deals outthere that will get you the best deal for the right phone andplan
6 Donrsquot forget your AccessoriesmdashWill you need to use aheadset for your car do you need a belt clip or extra batteries
COMPARING SERVICE PLANS AND PHONES
For the latest information on wireless service plans and phonesand to compare them side by side log on towwwGetConnectedcom
In the Beginning An Introduction to WirelessThink of the walkie-talkie as the electronic equivalent of taking yourfirst step For many of us it was our first introduction into the world ofwireless technology Bewildering and exciting but more importantlyproof that even at an early age humankind possessed some sort ofinherent need to find new ways to communicateThe walkie-talkie waswildly successful
How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 5
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 5
6 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
Fast-forward a few years and wersquove grown into a more dependableadult version of the walkie-talkie called the cordless phonemdasha trueintroduction to what has permeated our lifestyles at home work andplay But limitations of physical distance prevented us from taking thecordless on the road until miraculously the cellular or wireless phoneappeared and now itrsquos a vicious game of catch-up to understand whatwireless means to the average Joe
The BasicsTodayrsquos cellular service operates on much the same principle as our ear-lier walkie-talkie devicesYour voice is still transmitted through the airfrom point A to point B but thatrsquos where most of the similarities end
With cellular technology messages sound clearer travel farther andare received by the second party (with a little luck) as if we were nextdoorAnd itrsquos all done through a network built by breaking a geographicregion into small areas called cells which include the cellular antennasCalls are transmitted from the antenna to the wired telephone systemuntil it reaches the target audience on the other endThe term cellular isoften used to refer to ldquotraditional cellularrdquo or analog technology (AMPSor Advanced Mobile Phone Service) which utilized a network built at800 MHz by two service providers or carriers in each marketThissimply means that 800 MHz is the wavelength or frequency at whichyour voice travels from your phone to the antenna It also assures you thatwhether calling from the beach or from a traffic jam potentially life-altering commands like ldquohalf pepperonirdquo will be heard at the other end
The Digital AgeJust when you think that yoursquove got a pretty good handle on what analogis all about digital technology joins the partyThis essentially means asecond wireless technology new terminology products and services yetanother learning curve as well as up to five or six new competitors ineach market But the principle between analog and digital remains basi-cally the sameThe two most significant differences are that calls nowtravel at a frequency of either 800 MHz or 1900MHz and unlike analogthe digital network breaks down the senderrsquos voice into binary codetransmits it as data and reassembles it on the other endThese digital net-works usually are referred to as Personal Communications Service (PCS)
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 6
How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 7
networks although the traditional cellular carriers also offer digital ser-vice and sometimes call their digital service PCS alsoThe relevance ofthese changes to the every-day consumer is that this break-through affectseverything from call quality to network access and features like caller IDInternet access and extended battery life
Getting StartedGetting fitted for a wireless service provider plan and a compatiblephone is as easy as doing some painless homework before you buyWersquove made the following descriptions as clear as possible for you tounderstand before you make an educated buying decision get hookedup charge your battery and get ready for the air wavesTo make sureyou have all the latest up-to-date phone and plan information youshould use online resources like wwwGetConnectedcom the leadingcommunication resource with exhaustive lists of plans and services thatempower you the user to make the right decision for your lifestyle
CHOOSE A SERVICE PLAN THAT BEST MEETS YOUR
DAY-TO-DAY NEEDS
How many calls will I make each day Where will I callmdashlocal orlong distance Will I travel out of my local area with my phone DoI need my phone to act as a pager also Make sure your serviceplan and your phone meet your day-to-day needs
Usage When will you use your phone This can be a realmoney-saving decision Most wireless networks operate at ornear capacity during peak business hours and carriers typi-cally charge users for every second they tie up a circuit If youuse your cellular phone heavily at night and on weekendsmany carriers cater to that need by offering off-peak specialsof 300 500 or even 1000 minutes of evening and weekendcalling for a nominal fee with the purchase of a standard ser-vice planThese packages can be real money savers if used asintended but beware different providers define peak off-peak and weekend hours differently
wwwgetconnectedcom
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8 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
TravelingRoaming Do you travel a lot If you traveloutside of your localhome area or service provider net-work you can incur roaming charges which means a sur-charge will be applied for calls made and received while outof your home area and your local rate plan costs no longerapplyThe good news is that most carriers have plans thatcover beyond your local calling area From regional plans(ie NortheastWest Coast etc) to national plans themonthly fees generally are based on the size of the coveragearea and though more expensive each month than localplans these plans can be worth it if you expect to incurexpensive roaming fees
Traveling Abroad US digital phones are mostly incom-patible with worldwide networks except for parts ofMexico and Canada where some of the same technologystandards are used If your phone has analog capability (ieit is an analog-only or dualtri-mode phone) it could workin some Caribbean countries although it may not receivecalls Europe and parts of Asia use mainly a standardizeddigital network called GSM Phones built with GSM tech-nology can access the network regardless of the callerrsquoscountry of origin although each wireless carrier has theirown charges for roaming into other countries and thephone has to be programmed to work at the frequency ofthat country
Assessing Your Coverage NeedsYou may have seen the coolest phone being used by your best friendyesterday but unless you have wireless coverage where you are going touse your phone it may end up being an expensive paperweightThereare many ways to find out which wireless carriers offer service in yourareamdashTV and newspaper ads junk mail and inserts and online sitesthat show you the coverage maps for each company (see Chapter 9ldquoService Providers and Service Areasrdquo for detailed maps)The problemwith all these indicators of the companies that say they offer service atyour house is that you donrsquot truly know how their service works whereyou want it to work just by looking at a map
wwwgetconnectedcom
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How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 9
wwwgetconnectedcom
Your Friends Are Your Best ResourceThe best way to tell who has the best coverage where you need it(home school work downtown etc) is to talk to your friends Even ifyou call each wireless carrier in your area (up to seven or eight compa-nies) they will of course tell you that they have the best coverageexactly where you need itmdasheven though they may have minimal cov-erage thereThere is nothing more frustrating than buying a phonewith a zillion included minutes for $25 per month when you cannotuse it anywhere you want to use it
The questions to ask your friends about their wireless phonesshould be about their experiences with their phones specifically whereyou want to use yoursAsk if the calls were clear or if they were hard tohear (a sign of poor coverage)Ask if they had trouble making the calland received many busy signals (a sign of low capacitymdashnot manypeople can make calls at the same time) Here are some starting places
1 Can you use your phone in your house
2 Can you use your phone in your office
3 Can you use your phone in school
4 Does your call ever get disconnected or ldquodroprdquo when you aretravelingmdashif so where
5 Can you use your phone reliably any time of the day or doyou get busy signals at certain times like heavy commutertimes (7 AM to 9 AM or 430 PM to 7 PM)
6 Does your phone work where you travelmdashfor example if youtake trips to the mountains the beach the mall and so on
Which Comes First the Phone or the ServiceShould you look for a phone first or a rate plan and wireless carrierThe problem with buying a phone first is that you donrsquot know if it willwork on the network that gives you the best coverage Having said thatit is common for people to see a phone being used by a friend or co-worker or on TV or in a magazine and to be completely fixated onbuying that phoneThatrsquos not a problemmdashjust realize that it may limit
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 9
10 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
the places you can get the best use out of your phone If yoursquove got tohave that really cool red phone that you saw Billy using then that ishow you need to start shopping
Buying the wireless phone that is perfect for you is a big piece ofgetting into wirelessYou can spend lots of money on a wireless phonewith all the latest features or you can get a phone that is practicallyfree with limited bells and whistlesThe options seem to be limitlessmdashlarge phones small phones phones with speaker phones built inphones that can surf the WebThe choice is yours Look at
Size Weight Color Networks available
Features
If you do not have any specific phone in mind you should do alittle research to make sure you are buying a phone that will suit yourneeds Chapter 6ldquoGuide to Wireless Phonesrdquo describes some of thephones available in the United States right now but as with any elec-tronic device there are new models coming out all the time so be sureto check wwwGetConnectedcom for the latest phones available
What Features Do You Need in a Wireless PhoneWhen choosing a phone or a service provider the same is truemdashaskyour friends People who have wireless phones are great resources whenyou are looking for a phoneAsk them how the phone works whetherit is too heavy if you can see the numbers on the screen easily and soon Be sure to think about all the things you can do with a wirelessphone and whether those things are important to you (see Chapter 6ldquoGuide to Wireless Phonesrdquo) Here is a short list of the features that youmay want to use with your new phone
Wireless Internet Access The ability to look at certain Websites
Short Message Service (SMS) and E-Mail The ability tosend and receive short messages and text e-mails
wwwgetconnectedcom
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How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 11
Speaker Phone Some phones allow you to use them as aspeaker phone
Two-way Radio Service Nextel offers a ldquopush to talkrdquo ser-vice that lets your phone work like a walkie-talkie for quickcheap conversations between two or more people
Downloading Different Ring Tones You can customize theway your phone rings from a popular song to a classical hit
What about the Technical Side of the PhoneWhen you are looking at a phone you also want to make sure its tech-nical specifications meet your needsThese are things like the expectedbattery life the ability to add a headset the size of the screen and moreYou can see all the details of each phone at wwwGetConnectedcombut here is a short list of what you should consider
Size considerations including the height and the weight of thephone
Expected battery life for talk time and standby time Lines of text and characters per line on the screen (how big
the screen is and how big the numbers are on the screen) Internet capabilities Messaging capabilities
Usage ConsiderationsThe most important thing to understand but the toughest to figure outis how you will use your phone If you do a little simple planning nowyou will save some money in the selection of your monthly service planWill you use it only when you get a flat tire and need to call for helpOr will you use it from dawn to dusk as your only phone Will you calllong distance or just locally How about international calls
Rate plans offer the most confusing set of choices yetmdashpeak timeoff-peak time long distance included roaming costs wireless data andso onTo make sure that you buy the service that you need you needto look at how you will use your phone and make sure that you buyonly what you needThe majority of wireless users do not even comeclose to using the minutes that the service providers give them in their
wwwgetconnectedcom
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12 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
rate plan How can you possibly use 3000 minutes on your wirelessphone It is nice to have all these minutes just in case but if you canpay $10 less per month you can save $120 per year
Your Day-to-Day UseWhen you really think about it you can pretty much tell when whereand how you will be using your phone Set up a schedule based onyour use that will follow the basic parameters of the wireless rate plans
How many peak minutes of calling do you need (typicallybetween 700 AM and 700 PM)
What are your needs for off-peak minutes of calling (701 PM
to 659 AM and sometimes all day Saturday and Sunday) What percent of your calls will be local calls What percent of your calls will be long distance
How often do you think you will use your phone when youare outside of your local calling area (roaming)
An example of such a schedule can be seen in Table 11
Table 11 Sample Schedule Illustrating Potential Phone Use
Peak Hours Off-Peak Hours
Weekdays 4 calls 2 calls
Weekends mdash 8 calls
Times Days per Week x 5 days (2 x 5 days) + (8 x 2 days)
Total Calls per Week 20 calls 26 calls
Times 4 Weeks per Month = 80 calls 104 calls
Times 2 Minutes (avg call length) = x 2 x 2
Total Monthly Minutes 160 minutes 208 minutes
Local Calls (70 of all calls) 112 minutes 146 minutes
Long Distance Calls (30 of all calls) 48 minutes 62 minutes
Percent Roaming Use (10 of all calls) 16 minutes 21 minutes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 13
wwwgetconnectedcom
You can put the information from Table 11 into the Wireless Wizardat wwwGetConnectedcom to see all the latest service plans that matchyour intended useYou can also use this information to make sure that anyrate plan you are considering has all the minutes you need to use whenyou need to use them how you intend to use them and where you intendto use them For this example make sure that there are at least 160 min-utes of peak minutes 208 off-peak minutes and that the costs for long dis-tance and roaming are not too high if they are not included Some planswill include long distance and roaming minutes so you donrsquot have to payanything extra but the majority of plans charge extra for each
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more details on service plans see Chapter 8 ldquoUnderstandingService Plansrdquo or visit wwwGetConnectedcom
The Bottom Line Understanding CostWhen you are considering cost while picking the perfect phone andplan realize that there are many different costs involved phone costmonthly service plan cost activation fee cancellation fee long distanceroaming overage costs (using more minutes than are provided in yourrate plan) See Chapter 8ldquoUnderstanding Service Plansrdquo for full detailsFirst you need to have a feeling for the basics that constitute the majorcosts the phone and the rate plan
How Much to Spend on the PhoneWhen looking at the phones available you will see phones that are free oreffectively free with rebates and credits (see Chapter 11ldquoUnderstandingSpecial Deals and Promotionsrdquo) and you will see phones that are veryexpensive which can act as two-way pagers personal digital assistants andmay even wash your car if programmed correctly Free phones almostalways have a required contract or length of service agreement of one ortwo years If you are looking to get into wireless on the cheap then a freephone may work for you even with the contract If you want your phoneto send e-mail cruise the Web and play Beethoven when it rings you will
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 13
14 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
have to pay from $100 on up for the phone For the details on the wirelessphones see Chapter 6ldquoGuide to Wireless Phonesrdquo
How Much to Spend on the Rate PlanEvery month you will be charged for your wireless use If you staywithin your allowed minutes then you will pay the expected amountthat you sign up for (plus some taxes and fees that are charged by all car-riers usually a few dollars) but if you use more minutes than allowed inyour plan you will be billed for the extra minutes at premium pricesand get a bill potentially much higher than you expectThat is why it isimportant to think about your use prior to signing up for your service
You can spend as little as $20 or so and as much as $200 or moreper month based on the amount of use you will have Check outwwwGetConnectedcom for the latest in phones and service plans
WHAT ABOUT PREPAIDPrepaid wireless is a great way to get a wireless phone with nocredit history no credit card and for a short periods of use Prepaidis perfect for
Students and children Gifts (no long-term contract needed) Short-term use for example when you need a phone for
three months Very little monthly use (be careful to make sure the
minutes donrsquot expire)
For more information on prepaid wireless see Chapter 8ldquoUnderstanding Service Plansrdquo
Bargain Shopping Understanding PromotionsEvery wireless service provider offers promotions throughout the yearto entice you to sign up for serviceThey may offer a free phone a spe-cial weekends-free package or free accessoriesWhen you are lookingto sign up for service and have an idea of which service you think you
wwwgetconnectedcom
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How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 15
want which phones work on that service how you will use the phoneand how much you are willing to pay you need to look at the availablepromotions Sometimes these promotions can save you hundreds of dol-lars over the life of your wireless use But beware of promotions that arenot exactly what you are looking for such as those that may tie youinto a long term contract offer features that you wonrsquot use or add min-utes that you could never use even if you are on the phone everywaking moment
For a complete breakdown on promotions see the details inChapter 11ldquoUnderstanding Special Deals and Promotionsrdquo and get thelatest available promotions from wwwGetConnectedcom
Bells and Whistles Looking at AccessoriesThe last things to consider when buying your new phone are the acces-sories that you may need to make it perfect for youAsk yourself thesequestions to determine if you need these accessories
Will I use the phone while driving If Yes get a car kitor a headset (many phones already come with some sort ofhands-free head set so be sure not to buy an extra if it isincluded)
Will I use the phone a lot while driving If Yes then geta car charger or a car kit
Do I need to use my phone for long times while awayfrom my charger If Yes then buy an extra battery andmake sure it is a long-life battery
Will I need to charge my phone in more than oneplace If Yes then buy an extra charger for your office orhome
Will I need to carry my phone with me all the timeIf Yes then buy a leather case for protection with a clip or abelt clip that hooks onto the battery
Do I want to personalize my phone with differentcolors If Yes then buy a phone that has faceplates and afaceplate to your likingmdashthere are many colors available forsome of todayrsquos popular phones
wwwgetconnectedcom
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16 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
For more information on the myriad of accessories available forwireless phones refer to Chapter 7ldquoAccessories for Your WirelessPhonesrdquo
Making Sense of It All The Phone and Plan for MeSomdashconfused Buying wireless is not a simple process designed tomake sure you get the phone and service plan that you needAll wire-less carriers try to differentiate themselves from their competitors andby doing so they do not make it simple to compare their plans to othersimilar plansThe information in this guide will help you make an edu-cated purchase for the rate plan that fits your needs and the phone thatwill do all that you need it to doWhy pay for a $60 plan when youonly need a $40 plan Why buy a $200 phone when all you need is a$40 phone These are the questions that we help you figure out
Many of the points in this book are based on offers and rate plansthat are available at the time of this writingWireless carriers changetheir offers frequently so the best thing to do after realizing how youwill use your plan and phone is to log onto the Internet and visitwwwGetConnectedcom to make sure you see the most up-to-dateinformation
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 16
How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 17
wwwgetconnectedcom
SummaryAs you can see there are many things to consider when buying the perfectwireless phone and service for you It is not hard it just takes a littlehomework and researchThe important thing to remember is thatalthough there are many confusing options by realizing how you will useyour phone and what your main needs are and by using online tools likewwwGetConnectedcom you can buy the perfect plan and phone
Table 12 shows you the basic categories of phone users as well asthe basic parameters for the phones and the plans that you should keepin mind while you are reading this book and selecting the wirelessproducts that are right for you
Table 12 Guidelines for Equipment and Services for VariousTypes of Users
If You Are Then You Should Get a And a
A techno-savvy National rate plan Digital phone with road warrior with roaming wireless Internet
included two-way messaging and speed dialing
Always on the Local rate plan Digital phone with go shuttling lots of minutes caller ID lots of battery the kids or with of use life and car chargera working parent
A student with Prepaid rate plan Wireless phone that no credit history with some extra works in the areas or buying for a prepaid cards neededmdashschool home student mall etc
A security-minded Very low-priced Phone that will work motorist who will rate plan with anywhere and a car chargeruse the phone minimal minutesonly in an emergency situation
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 17
Quick ReferenceIn the BeginningAn Introduction to Wireless
The walkie-talkie started the wireless revolution
Wireless phones began with analog cellular service
Digital technology has taken wireless to new heights
Getting Started
Do a little homework to understand how you will use yourwireless phone
Assessing Your Coverage Needs
Where will you use your phone and which wireless carrierhas the best service there
Make sure you know all the service providers in your area
Ask your friends who they use and what they think
The important places to have coverage are where you livework go to school and travel
What Comes First the Phone or the Service
Do you need all the latest options or do you just need tomake calls in an emergency
If you must have the coolest phone go ahead
Figure out if you need all the features or if you just need abasic phone
Make sure the technical aspects of the phone match yourneedsmdashbattery life screen size etc
Usage Considerations
How many minutes will you use each month and at whattime of the day will you use the most minutes Will you calllocally or long distance
18 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C01qk 111201 148 PM Page 18
Figuring out when where and how you will use your phoneis the most important piece
Take a few minutes to look at the number of calls you willmake when you will make them and to and from where
Plug your expected use in online tools and Wizards to see themost current plans that fit your needs
The Bottom Line Understanding Cost
How much are you willing to spend on the monthly serviceand on the phone
Be aware of all the costs including activation fees taxes andoverage costs
Make sure the phone you must have is not too expensive
Keep your monthly service fee under control by choosing theplan correctly
Bargain Shopping Looking at Promotions
Are there any great deals out there that will get you the bestdeal for the right phone and plan
Take a look at the latest promotions to make sure you arenrsquotmissing out
Donrsquot fall for a promotion you donrsquot need
Make sure the promotion doesnrsquot tie you into a long-termcontract if you donrsquot want one
Bells and Whistles Looking at Accessories
Will you need to use a headset for your car do you need abelt clip or extra batteries
If the phone is perfect make sure it has the accessories youneed
Donrsquot buy accessories that are already included in the packagewith the phone
Check the promotions to see if some accessories are free
How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service bull Chapter 1 19
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C01qk 111201 149 PM Page 19
Making Sense of It AllThe Phone and Plan for Me
There are many options out there but you can make sense ofit all
Buying the perfect phone and rate plan for you just takes alittle time
20 Chapter 1 bull How to Choose a Wireless Phone and Service
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C01qk 111201 149 PM Page 20
Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos theDifference
Quick References in this chapter
Evolution of the Wireless Phone
Exploring Analog Technology
Examining Digital Technology
The Pros and Cons of Digital
Summary
Quick References
21
Chapter 2
165_cell_C02qk 111201 150 PM Page 21
22 Chapter 2 bull Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference
wwwgetconnectedcom
DID YOU KNOWA wireless phone is a radio It operates with a transmitter and areceiver to make sure you can hear the message coming in and theother person can hear you
IntroductionRemember the days before cellular phones when the only methods ofcommunicating while on the road were by using walkie-talkies or CBradios That equipment was so restrictive that you could call only oneor two select people within a very short distance (under 50 miles)Well believe it or not that wasnrsquot all that long ago Mobile communi-cation has increased dramatically in popularity and availability in thelast 20 yearsThis can certainly be credited to the ever-improvingever-expanding wireless technology
There are many types of wireless technologies available throughoutthe nationWhat are they Whatrsquos the best technology for your needsDo you need more than one And what do all those terms meananyway In this chapter we will answer these questions for you
Generally speaking wireless technology can be broken down intotwo categories analog and digitalAnalog has been around the longestand as a result has a more expansive coverage area than digital Digital isa fairly new technology and therefore it may not be available in all ruralareas However digital wireless is growing rapidly and its coverage areais expanding everyday If digital technology is not available in your areatoday you could possibly wake up tomorrow and learn that it is
Of course digital wireless is not the end-all and be-all of wirelesstechnology It does have its restrictionsWe will examine the pros andcons of both analog and digital technologymdashand let you decide whichis best for you
Evolution of the Wireless PhoneWireless phones work using technology similar to CB radios AMFMradios and walkie-talkies However they are a bit more complex and
165_cell_C02qk 111201 150 PM Page 22
Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference bull Chapter 2 23
as a result they are better suited to fit todayrsquos needs for communica-tions on the gomdashstaying in touch no matter where you are A simpleway to explain it is to compare a wireless phone to a CB radio or awalkie-talkie
Both CB radios and walkie-talkies are simplex devicesThis meansthat two people that communicate on a CB radio talk on the same fre-quency but only one person can talk at a timeA wireless phone is aduplex deviceA duplex device uses two frequencies One frequency isused for talking and a second separate frequency is used for listeningAmong many other uses a wireless phone (or duplex device) allowsboth people on a call to talk at once Not only does the wireless phoneeliminate the need to use terms such as ldquoRogerrdquo and ldquoover and outrdquobut also more importantly makes the flow of the conversationsmoother From a userrsquos standpoint talking on a wireless phone feelsmuch like talking on your home phoneThe only difference is that youcan be a hundred miles from any city house or telephone pole
Wireless technology is based on the car-mounted police radios ofthe 1920s Mobile telephone service became available to private cus-tomers in the 1940s In 1947 Southwestern Bell and ATampT launchedthe first commercial mobile phone service in St Louis Missouri butthe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limited the amountof frequencies available which made only 23 simultaneous phone con-versations available within a service area (the mobile phones offeredonly six channels with a 60 KHz spacing between them)Unfortunately that spacing schema led to very poor sound quality dueto cross-channel interference much like the cross talk on wirelinephonesThe original public wireless systems generally used single high-powered transmitters to cover the entire coverage area In order to uti-lize the precious frequencies allotted to themATampT developed an ideato replace the single high-powered transmitters with smaller strategi-cally placed transmitters throughout the metropolitan area calls wouldswitch between transmitters as they needed a stronger signalAlthoughthis method of handling calls certainly eased some of the problems itdid not eliminate the problem altogether In fact the problem of toofew voice channels plagued the wireless phone industry for several years
The main problem was that demand always seemed to exceed supplySince the FCC refused to allocate more frequencies for mobile wirelessuse waiting lists became ATampTrsquos temporary solution as the companystrove for the technological advances necessary to accommodate
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C02qk 111201 150 PM Page 23
24 Chapter 2 bull Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference
everyone For example in 1976 there were less than 600 mobile phonecustomers in New York City but there were over 3500 people on thewaiting listsAcross the United States at that time there were nearly45000 subscribers but there were still another 20000 people on waitinglists as much as 10 years long Compare this situation to todayrsquos whereservice providers give away free phones and thousands of minutes to gaincustomersWireless technology has come a long wayThe term ldquocellularrdquodescribes how each geographic region of coverage is broken up into cellsWithin each of these cells is a tower or antenna a radio transmitter andcontrol equipment Early wireless transmission operated at 800 MHz onanalog signals which are sent on a continuous waveAnalog signals arecovered in more detail later on this chapterWhen a customer presses theSEND button on their wireless phone the first signal sent allows the net-work to identify the caller as a recognized customer then it verifies thathe or she is a customer of the service with an active account and finds afree channel to place the call to the other party
Personal Communication Services (PCS) operating at 1900 MHzfollowed years later PCS refers to the digital wireless services that agiven wireless carrier can bundle together for the user Services like mes-saging paging and voice mail are all part of the PCS environment Mostof the wireless carriers in the United States offer PCS services even thecarriers that operate at 800 MHz or the original analog frequency Somewireless providers began looking into digital technology as a way toincrease the number of customers that could use their networks simulta-neously thus increasing the number of customers they could add to theirnetwork (basically digital signals are encoded voice delivered by bit-streams which is described more fully later in this chapter) Some wire-less providers are using digital signals to send not only voice but alsodata Digital signals are based on three technologies Code DivisionMultiple Access (CDMA)Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) andGlobal System for Mobile Communication (GSM)A more detaileddescription of these technologies can be found in Chapter 3ldquoCDMA toTDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitionsrdquo
Exploring Analog TechnologyIn the early 1980s the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)approved the first analog wireless telephone standard known as AdvancedMobile Phone Service (AMPS)The term ldquowirelessrdquo often is used to
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C02qk 111201 150 PM Page 24
Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference bull Chapter 2 25
refer to ldquotraditional wirelessrdquo analog or AMPSAnalog utilizes a networkbuilt at 800 MHzThis simply means that 800 MHz is the wavelength orfrequency at which your voice travels in a continuous wave between thewireless phone and the closest antenna at those frequenciesTo put thisinto perspective an FM radio functions at between 88 and 108 MHz
An easy way to think about analog voice signals is to realize thatwhen you talk to another person in the same room your voice arrivesin his or her ears using analog voice wavesThe sounds you make travelthrough the air as a continuous analog sound waveThe biggest differ-ence between talking to your friends in person and over an analogwireless phone is the frequency at which your voice is transmitted
So in a sense analog was the pioneer for todayrsquos wireless tech-nologyAs with any new productivity enhancing technology it quicklybecame popular among business professionals traveling salespeople andpeople who needed to be in touch wherever they were Since thenew-found mobility of communications was primarily a business toolthe prices were well out of reach for the every day consumerFortunately for American consumers in 1996 the FCC put theTelecommunications Act into effect which would increase competitionfor all telecommunications services including adding up to six or sevennew wireless carriers in all major marketsTo learn more about wirelesscarriers and their coverage refer to Chapter 9ldquoService Providers andService Areasrdquo
AMPS
Advanced Mobile Phone service or AMPS was the original cellulartechnology used in the United States It offered basic voice serviceand would connect a wireless phone user to the closest cellulartower by sending the conversation over the airwaves in a contin-uous flow or analog sound wave This was a great starting pointbut it had many limitations A version of AMPS known asNarrowband Advanced Mobile Phone Service (NAMPS) incorporatessome digital technology to allow the system to carry about threetimes as many calls as the original version Even though it uses dig-ital technology it is still considered analog AMPS and NAMPSoperate in the only 800-MHz band and do not offer many of thefeatures common in digital wireless service such as e-mail andWeb browsing For more information on AMPS refer to Chapter 3ldquoCDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitionsrdquo
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C02qk 111201 151 PM Page 25
26 Chapter 2 bull Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference
Examining Digital TechnologyJust when you think that yoursquove got a pretty good handle on whatanalog is all about digital technology joins the partyThis essentiallymeans a second wireless network new terminology new products andservices and yet another learning curve But the principle betweenanalog and digital remains basically the sameThe most significant dif-ference is that unlike analog the digital network does not send outyour voice on a continuous wave through the air but breaks downyour voice into binary code (0rsquos and 1rsquos) transmits it as data andreassembles it on the other endThese digital networks are usuallyreferred to as Personal Communications Service or (PCS) networks(Refer to Chapter 3 ldquoCDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and BasicDefinitionsrdquo for more information on the various types of digitaltechnologies) The relevance of these changes to the every-day con-sumer is that this breakthrough affects everything from call quality tothe number of people who can access the network in any geograph-ical area and to features like caller ID Internet access or extendedbattery life
Digital wireless phones use the same radio technology as analogphones but they use it in a different way Analog systems use thesignal between the phone and the wireless network mostly on a one-to-one basis (one channel for one call) Digital networks allow mul-tiple calls per channel or frequency which allows the wireless carrierto offer service to more people in their coverage area Some of thedigital technologies have increased the number of people who cantalk at the same time by six to ten times that allowed by analog sys-tems So in a nutshell digital technology is more efficient thananalog
The Pros and Cons of DigitalAs with any comparison there are pros and cons to each itemWhenchoosing between digital or analog the most important thing toremember is that analog is an established technology it has beenaround long enough and is available in most areas even very rurallocations However established is not always goodmdashthere is alwaysroom for improvement Digital wireless uses newer technology
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C02qk 111201 151 PM Page 26
Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference bull Chapter 2 27
although it may not be available everywhere it offers many featuresthat are unavailable to analog customers Because of the advancedtechnology that digital wireless uses it is the primary service beingoffered today to customers by almost all wireless carriersThe fol-lowing lists break down the pros and cons for digital technology andcan help you decide whatrsquos best for you
Advantages of Digital Phones
Clarity Digital wireless calls are often clearer than analogwireless calls
Capacity By enabling more calls to use the same bandwidthdigital technology reduces the busy signals that occur onanalog networks when too many people attempt to use theirphones at the same time
Value Digital plans tend to offer cheaper bundled minutesthan the analog alternatives because the wireless carrier hasmore bandwidth on digital than on analog
Better Phone Choices Because digital wireless can utilizemore advanced features than analog most digital phones comewith innovative features (like a calendar calculator and wire-less Internet capabilities)The popularity of digital phones hasalso created an increased demand for phones resulting in morephone choices for the consumer
Battery Life Digital wireless phones generally have alonger battery life than analog phonesThis explains whydigital phones are usually smaller and come with more talktime than analog phones Analog phones have to be in activemode all the time which drains the battery digital phonescan use a standby or sleep mode which saves battery use
Security Digital technology breaks your voice into zerosand ones before it transmits it through the air making itinherently more secure than analog technologyThis makes itmore difficult for anyone to eavesdrop on your wireless calls
Extra Features In general digital networks tend to offer thecustomer more network feature options like Caller IDTextMessaging and even Web surfing
wwwgetconnectedcom
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28 Chapter 2 bull Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference
Disadvantages of Digital Phones
Coverage In the United States the networks are still relativelyyoung and do not offer a coverage area as comprehensive as theanalog networks
Single Band Phones Some digital phones operate onlyon the digital network that is the primary network of thecarrierThese phones are great when they are in the digitalcoverage of the carrier but will not be able to make orreceive calls when outside of the digital network forexample when in a rural area on vacation or while travelingin nonpopulated areas
Roaming Fees Some wireless carriers offer their low per-minute cost or included minutes only while you are oper-ating on their digital network which may be only in ametropolitan area and the immediate surroundingsWhenyou drive outside that area you are using roaming minuteswhich are more expensive and often are not included inyour monthly service fee
Digital Sound Problems Although digital sound quality hasdramatically improved since its introduction you are likely tofind areas on the edges of the digital coverage area where thesound is like calling from under water or where your call willjust be disconnected Sometimes that is better than the analogstatic but other times it can be just as frustrating
wwwgetconnectedcom
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SummaryAlthough the coverage areas when using analog is still superior to thecoverage you will find on a digital phone the advantages of a digitalphone far surpass those of an analog phoneThe majority of wirelessphones available offer a secondary mode of operation on the analognetwork to make sure you have as much coverage as possible which isan important factor when looking at phonesThere is nothing worsethan spending $200 on a phone that offers the latest in digital capabili-ties only to have it not work as soon as you leave the highway
Quick References Evolution of the Wireless Phone
Wireless phones work on technology that is similar to that ofCB radiosAMFM radios and walkie-talkies
A cellular phone is a duplex deviceThis means it can sendand receive voice signals at the same time so you donrsquot haveto talk like you are on a walkie-talkie
With wireless technology messages sound clearer travel far-ther and are received by the person you are calling as if youwere next door
Exploring Analog Technology
In the early 1980s the FCC approved the first analog wirelesstelephone standard known as AMPS
Analog was the pioneer for wireless technology
Analog wireless sends your voice in a continuous wave fromyour phone to the closest tower and forwards it to the otherparty
Examining Digital Technology
Just when you think that yoursquove got a pretty good handle onwhat analog is all about digital technology joins the party
Digital wireless phones use the same radio technology asanalog phones but they use it in a different way
Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference bull Chapter 2 29
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Digital wireless sends your voice as 0rsquos and 1rsquos from yourphone to the closest tower and reassembles it to send it to theother party
In a nutshell digital is more efficient than analog
The Pros and Cons of Digital
Digital networks are often clearer than analog wireless
Digital phones generally have a longer battery life than analogphones
Analog still has more coverage for calling from more places
30 Chapter 2 bull Analog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Difference
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CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms andBasic Definitions
Quick References in this chapter
Code Division Multiple Access
Global Systems for MobileCommunications
Time Division Multiple Access
Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio
Service Providers and Technologies
Summary
Quick References
31
Chapter 3
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32 Chapter 3 bull CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions
IntroductionAs wireless technology becomes more and more popular serviceproviders and wireless providers will offer their customers more andmore advanced features Since the introduction of digital into the cel-lular world the possibilities seem endlessAlthough analog technologythe original wireless technology continues to be the most expansivenetwork available it is being challenged by digital technology as digitaltechnology offers superior abilities to better serve the consumer One ofthe major problems with digital wireless today is the sheer number ofdigital wireless service providers that exist For the average customerknowing what the different types of digital services are what servicesthe different providers have to offer and why one service provider isbetter or worse than the other is almost impossible
The only thing that matters to most people buying wireless is thatit works clearly and consistently and is relatively inexpensiveReasonable expectations but when someone ventures online or into awireless store to buy a wireless phone and service plan they are con-fronted with so many similar choices that it can be overwhelming andquite confusingThe reasons that the wireless carriers moved fromanalog to digital or built their networks using only digital are many butthe most compelling reason is that digital allows them to offer moreMore features More customers per channel of frequency allocated bythe FCC More seamless use across the country Just plain more
Early mobile telephone systems allowed only one conversation perfrequency which was very limiting to the carriers in terms of howmany customers they could serveThere was nothing that could reallybe done based on technology that did not allow for frequencies to bereused in any single geographical area However the demand for wire-less phones has led to systems whose design is based on the reuse offrequencies One of the first services to design a frequency reuse planor cellular plan was the Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS)
Before AMPS there were a limited number of channels available forwireless phones the towers to transmit and receive the signal from themobile units were designed to cover large geographic areas so as to limitthe number of towers and to lower costs However this resulted in verylow user density and crippled the systems in highly populated areasAMPSwas designed to allow frequencies to be reused in a smaller geographicarea thereby increasing the available user density Digital technologies
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CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions bull Chapter 3 33
expanded on the reuse of frequency to allow each channel to carry threesix and even ten times as many calls as the older systemsThe ability totake a personrsquos voice break it down into 0rsquos and 1rsquos and reassemble itwhen it got to a tower enabled each bit of frequency to be used for manyvoice calls and for passing data back and forth across the network
The types of digital service that have evolved in the United Statesand around the world vary from each other mostly in technical waysbut also in some very customer-affecting waysThere are four types ofdigital systems is the United States
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Time Division Multiple Accessing (TDMA)
Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio (ESMR)
The differences of the types of digital service are discussed in theremaining sections of this chapter
COMPETING DIGITAL STANDARDS
Wireless carriers are always trying to find the best way to optimizetheir networks with new technologies while making sure that once acustomer is on their network it is tough for them to leave for thecompetitor In the early days of wireless the cellular providers all gottogether so the story goes and agreed to move from their analogsystems to a common digital standard This would allow for simplecustomer roaming and migration from one network to another thuscreating the easiest solution for the consumer Immediately after thehands were shaken to agree on this one standard the carriers allstarting making their own arrangements and vendor choices basedon different standards including TDMA GSM and CDMA and thesimplicity that once existed in the analog world quickly ended
Code Division Multiple AccessCode Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is often referred to as themost interesting but hardest to implement method of carrying wirelessservices CDMA systems have no channels but instead encode each callas a coded sequence across the entire frequency spectrum Each conver-
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34 Chapter 3 bull CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions
sation is modulated in the digital domain with a unique code thatmakes it distinguishable from the other calls in the frequency spectrum
CDMA is the newest of the multiple access technologies it is notyet as widely used but is showing great promise CDMA does notdivide the allocated block of frequencies into individual channels Itassigns a unique code to each signal and then combines all the signalsinto a single large channelThe receiver receives the integrated signaland uses the same code just to process the desired signal CDMA isgaining popularity as a third-generation (3G) wireless phone tech-nology because it is very efficient at utilizing bandwidth plus it isnatively very secure because all conversations are uniquely encoded
The fact that CDMA shares frequencies with neighboring wirelesstowers allows for easier installation of extra capacity since extracapacity can be achieved by simply adding extra cell sites andshrinking power levels of nearby sitesThe downside to CDMA is thecomplexity of deciphering and extracting the received signals espe-cially if there are multiple signal paths (reflections) between the phoneand the wireless tower (called multipath interference)As a resultCDMA phones are sometimes more expensive than other digitalphones and CDMA antenna site equipment is three to four times theprice of the other digital network equivalents
Benefits of CDMA CDMA networks cover more wireless users in the United States thanany other digital standard and include benefits such as
Advanced features like caller ID text messaging Voice clarity and overall call quality The ability to filter out background noise and interference Fewer dropped calls (as compared to analog) Improved security and privacymdashthe digitally encoded spread
spectrum transmissions minimizes eavesdropping Α large number of customers who can share the same radio
frequencies The greatest customer capacity of network equipment for
low cost Less battery power (when compared to analog)
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CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions bull Chapter 3 35
Global Systems for MobileCommunicationsGlobal Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) is the maintechnology used by the international digital wireless systems how-ever GMS is used only by a small percentage of wireless carriers inthe United States GSM is interesting in that it uses a modified andfar more efficient version of TDMA (explained later in thischapter) GSM keeps the idea of timeslots on frequency channelsbut corrects several major shortcomings Since the GSM timeslotsare smaller than TDMA they hold less data but allow for data ratesstarting at 300 bits per secondThus a call can use as many times-lots as necessary up to a limit of 13 kilobits per secondWhen a callis inactive (silence) or can be compressed more fewer timeslots areusedTo facilitate filling in gaps left by unused timeslots calls do fre-quency hopping in GSMThis means that calls will jump betweenchannels and timeslots to maximize the systemrsquos usage A controlchannel is used to communicate the frequency hopping and otherinformation between the antenna tower and the phone
The architecture used by GSM consists of three main componentsa mobile station a base station subsystem and a network subsystemThese components work in tandem to allow a user to travel seamlesslywithout interruption of service while offering the flexibility of havingany device used permanently or temporarily by any user Utilizing thethree separate components of the GSM network this type of communi-cation is truly portableA user can place an identification card called aSubscriber Identity Module (SIM) in the wireless device and the devicewill take on the personal configurations and information of that userThis includes telephone numbers home system and billing informa-tionAlthough the United States has migrated towards CDMA andTDMA as the premier mode of wireless communications a large partof the world uses GSM
Benefits of GSMGSM networks cover the most wireless users around the world and thetechnology is gaining favor in the United States because of the fol-lowing benefits
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36 Chapter 3 bull CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions
Provides integrated voice high-speed two-way data fax andshort message services capabilities
Offers advanced features such as caller ID text messaging Offers superior voice clarity and overall call quality Provides personal identification tied to a Subscriber
Information Module (SIM) card that can be used in multiplephones not tying the user to one phone
Offers voice privacy Uses less battery power (when compared to analog) Enables a single technology handset to work around the world
where GSM is available (as long as the frequencies are acces-sible by the handset)
Time Division Multiple AccessTime Division Multiple Access (TDMA) divides wireless conversationsby frequency and time to increase the capacity of the networkTDMAuses a single voice channel for multiple calls by taking each callbreaking it into timed sections of a digital transmission to the towerand reassembling the call based on the timeslot For example call A hasall its parts put into timeslot A call B has its parts put into timeslot Band each are sent in one transmission to the tower where the calls areput back together for transmission to the other partyTDMA was oneof the original digital systems used and has gone through many revi-sions to make sure it utilizes the network to the best of its abilitiesBased on a limited number of timeslots for each call in a channelTDMA has no accommodations for silence in a telephone conversa-tion In other words once a call is initiated the channeltimeslot pairbelongs to the phone for the duration of the call
Each channel using TDMA technology for wireless calls is furtherdivided into timeslots Each timeslot is assigned to a different userThetransmitter transmits information for all timeslots at the same frequencyand the receivers receive all the timeslots but listen only to the timeslotthey have been allocatedThe net effect is that the efficiency of thechannel is increased by a multiple of the number of timeslots that arebeing used Most common second-generation TDMA phone systemsuse three timeslots
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CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions bull Chapter 3 37
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Benefits of TDMATDMA was one of the first technologies to expand analogrsquos voice capa-bilities beyond one call per channelTDMA has many other benefits
Provides advanced features like caller ID text messaging Economizes bandwidth Provides voice clarity and overall call quality even over long
distances Is difficult to decode therefore only minimal eavesdropping is
possible Uses less battery power (when compared to analog) Offers voice privacy
Enhanced Specialized Mobile RadioEnhanced Specialized Mobile Radio (ESMR) systems use digital radiotransmissions similar to other digital technologies Spread-spectrummodes such as frequency hopping are common One major differencefrom other networks is that in an ESMR system connections betweenusers is almost instantaneous compared to the typical delays required todial and set up a call in a public cellular networkThis capability allowsthe ESMR carrier to offer walkie-talkiendashlike services on its network aswell as cellular callingThis is a great advantage for large work groupswho need to be in constant contact with just a touch of a button forexample a construction crew ESMR services also allow customers tocontact many people at the same time much like a CB radio thus cre-ating a multiple person ldquocallrdquo
Examples of ESMR networks include Ericssonrsquos Enhanced DigitalAccess Communications System (EDACS) Motorolarsquos IntegratedDispatch Enhanced Network (iDEN) and the Nextel System
Delivery and courier services which depend on mobility and speedalso typically employ ESMR for voice communications between thedelivery vehicles and the officeThe technology consists of a dispatcherin an office plotting out the dayrsquos events for the driverWhen the driverarrives at his location he radios the dispatcher and lets him know hislocationThe benefit of ESMR is its ability to act like a CB radioallowing all users on one channel to listen while still allowing two users
165_cell_C03qk 111201 152 PM Page 37
38 Chapter 3 bull CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions
to communicate personallyThis arrangement allows the dispatcher tocoordinate schedules for both pick-ups and deliveries and to track thedriverrsquos progress Drivers with empty loads can be routed to assist back-logged drivers Drivers that are on the road can be radioed if a customercancels a deliveryThis type of communication benefits delivery servicesin two major areas saving time and increasing efficiency
Benefits of ESMRESMR is a unique digital service that allows the user a couple ways tocommunicate including
Push-to-talk features that operate like walkie-talkies allowusers to talk directly to another person without a delay in set-ting up the call
Group calling allows users to talk to many people at one time
Digital transmissions assure privacy
Two-way data features are available
International systems allow the use of one handset anywherethe service is available
Service Providers and Technologies Now that wersquove covered the basic digital technology offerings you maybe wondering which service providers or wireless carriers offer whichservicesTo help you make sense of this wersquove provided the leading ser-vice providers and their offerings in Table 31
NOTE
Be aware that Table 31 is not a complete list of US wireless ser-vice providers
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CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions bull Chapter 3 39
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Table 31 Service Providers and the Technologies That They Offer
Wireless Technology
Service Provider CDMA TDMA GSM ESMR
ATampT Wireless
Cingular Wireless
Nextel
Qwest Wireless
Sprint PCS
SunCom
Verizon Wireless
Century Tel
NTELOS
PrimeCo
US Cellular
Cincinnati Bell Wireless
VoiceStream Wireless
165_cell_C03qk 111201 152 PM Page 39
SummaryDigital technology is quickly outpacing analog with its advanced fea-tures incredible battery life and voice qualityThe limitation of cov-erage for each of the four types of digital coverage in the United Statescan sometimes be overcome by using a wireless phone that has digitalservice and analog capabilities in order to maximize the places in theUS where the phone will workThe differences between the types ofdigital available to consumers is tough to discern so the best way tojudge which one is best for you is to consider the features coverageand quality of that digital coverage in your location
Quick References
Code Division Multiple Access
CDMA networks cover more wireless users in the UnitedStates than any other digital standard and include benefitssuch as
Advanced features like caller ID and text messaging
Most capacity of all digital networks
Secure calling
Global Systems for Mobile Communications
GSM networks cover the most wireless users around theworld and the technology is gaining favor in the United Statesbecause of the following benefits
Provides integrated voice high-speed two-way datafax and short message services capabilities
Enables a single technology handset to work aroundthe world where GSM is available
SIM card feature keeps subscriber information
40 Chapter 3 bull CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Time Division Multiple Access
TDMA was one of the first technologies to expand analogrsquosvoice capabilities beyond one call per channelTDMA hasmany other benefits
Secure calling
Advanced features like caller ID and text messaging
Economizes bandwidth
Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio
ESMR is a unique digital service that allows the user a coupleways to communicate including
Directly connect to other users like a walkie-talkie
Talk to groups of people like a CB radio
Two-way data
CDMA to TDMAmdashDigital Terms and Basic Definitions bull Chapter 3 41
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Wireless Data andthe WirelessInternetmdashDo INeed It
Quick References in this chapter
What Is the Wireless Internet
How Does It Work
What Kind of Phone Do I Need
What Services Can I Get from the Wireless Carriers
What Services Can I Get from ThirdParties
Wireless Data and Fax
Summary
Quick References
43
Chapter 4
165_cell_C04qk 111401 432 PM Page 43
44 Chapter 4 bull Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It
IntroductionImagine that the four hours you spent sitting in the airport waiting fora delayed flight yesterday could have been as productive as being in theoffice sitting at your desk Instead of getting friendly with the airportbartender you could have been browsing the 80 unread e-mails in yourinbox checking your stock portfolios or even looking up directions tothat impending business meetingYes you can do all this in the palm ofyour hand as long as you have the right phone and access to theWireless Internet
What Is the Wireless InternetLike millions of others around the world you use the Internet fromyour home or work computer every day to communicate with friendsfamily and co-workers check your stocks keep up with the news andweather make travel plans get directions and check movie timesMissing e-mail messages updates on your stocks or some news you justneed to know can be detrimental to your personal and professional lifeHow would you like the freedom of leaving the office for a while butstill being connected to the world around you
Thanks to the Wireless Internet you can get away from the officefor a bit while maintaining complete control over the information thatmatters most to youAnswer e-mail check sports scores and news allfrom the palm of your hand
The Wireless Internet gives your phone a dual personalitymdashone forvoice and one for dataAll the data that you need every day may very wellbe available to you by using your wireless phoneThe Wireless Internet letsyou read reply forward and manage your e-mail It helps you to be moreefficient when you are on the run or when you need to access informa-tion while you are away from the officeThere are many software compa-nies today that are creating applications to allow you to see all the datathat you use at work through your wireless phoneAlthough the informa-tion will not be presented in a format that your are familiar with you willbe able to access and manipulate itmdashread it fax it e-mail it delete it
How Does It WorkPerhaps the most important factor in the birth of Wireless Internet hasbeen the immense growth of wireless phones in the last few yearsWith
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It bull Chapter 4 45
digital wireless networks expanding at record pace a solid foundationfor Wireless Internet services was established In 1997 Nokia MotorolaEricsson and Phonecom came together to create the WirelessApplication Protocol (WAP) because they believed a universal standardwas critical to the successful implementation of the Wireless InternetWAP uses Wireless Markup Language (WML) which includes theHandheld Device Markup Language (HDML) developed byPhonecom (now called OpenWave after their merger withSoftwarecom)The wireless phones are also equipped with a piece ofsoftware called a micro-browser which is analogous to the Web browseryou use to access the Internet from your home or work PCThemicro-browser allows you either to enter a Web address or to click on apage link which will then bring you to that page
Most wireless phones have data transfer rates of 144 kbps or lessCompared to a typical home PC 56 kbps modem cable modem orDSL connection (100 kbps+) wireless speeds are much slowerWirelessInternet content is typically text-based so the time it takes to downloadcontent is less than if the page were loaded with graphicsAnd althoughyou donrsquot get the graphical beauty of the Internet you are able to gainaccess to the information that matters to you most while on the goAcomparison of a typical Web page and its wireless Web counterpart canbe seen in Figures 41 and 42
The relatively small size of the liquid crystal display (LCD) on awireless phone certainly presents another challenge Most Web sites aredesigned for a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels which is ideal forviewing on a desktop or laptop computerThe page simply will not fiton wireless phone displays which average 150 by 150 pixelsAlso themajority of wireless devices use monochromatic screens Pages are moredifficult to read when the text and background colors become similarshades of grayWAP takes each of these limitations into account andprovides a way for pages to be displayed for optimal viewing capabilitieson a wireless phone screen
New applications are being developed to allow more graphics to bedownloaded onto wireless phones Given the limitations of the phonescreen the normal graphics you are used to will not appear on yourphone Some phones and wireless services can accept wireless bitmappictures (WBMP) which offer a taste of things to come in the deliveryof images to wireless phones albeit not a high resolution full-color ani-mated picture like yoursquod see on your home computer
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46 Chapter 4 bull Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It
There are many steps involved in accessing a Web page throughyour wireless phone
1 The handset establishes a connection with its base station
2 Once this connection is set up the micro-browser initiates aconnection to a WAP gateway predefined in the phonersquosconfiguration
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 42 Yahoo Home Page Tool Bar on the Typical WirelessPhone Screen
Figure 41 Yahoo Home Page Tool Bar on the Typical ComputerScreen
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Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It bull Chapter 4 47
3 The micro-browser requests a URL from the WAP gatewayThis is done via a compact binary encoded request
4 The gateway translates this request into an HTTP request andsends it over the wired Internet to the specified content server
5 The content server responds by sending a page of WML con-tent which may also contain WMLScript (similar toJavaScript) and special graphics in WBMP format
6 The gateway compresses the response into a special binaryformat optimized for low-bandwidth networks and thensends it back to the micro-browser It also compiles anyWMLScript found in the response
7 The micro-browser decodes the compressed signal andattempts to display it if possible
Donrsquot worry if this seems like too much informationmdashthere aremany steps involved in getting information from the Web to your smallwireless phone screen Each step along the way may vary slightly basedon the kind of content you are requesting and the kind of phone youare usingAs the Wireless Internet matures there will be fewer steps thatvary from the wired Internet thus allowing any device to access theonline information in virtually the same way
What Kind of Phone Do I Need To access the Wireless Internet you will need to get an Internet-readyphoneThese phones currently range in price from $100 to $500Three examples of Internet-ready phones can be seen in Figures 4344 and 45
NOTE
For a more complete sampling of Internet-ready phones refer toChapter 6 ldquoGuide to Wireless Phonesrdquo
Wireless Internet service also enables users to connect their laptopsto the Internet without plugging into the phone socket in the wallYoucan purchase a separate cable that will allow you to connect to theInternet using your phone as your modemThe range of prices for
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48 Chapter 4 bull Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 43 The EricssonR289LX Internet-Ready Phone
Figure 44 The SamsungN200 Internet-Ready Phone
Figure 45 The Mitsubishi T250 Internet-Ready Phone
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Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It bull Chapter 4 49
these kits covers the spectrum from $20 to $200 depending on the kitand its accompanying services Often using your phone as a modemwill use minutes on your monthly rate plan but sometimes you need toget an additional rate plan specifically for data
What Services Can I Get from the Wireless Carriers Thanks to the advancements made in wireless phone technology overthe past few years virtually every large wireless service provider nowoffers Wireless Internet service to their customers some including basicWireless Internet for no additional charge with others charging anadditional monthly fee in addition to monthly service plan charges
Some of the standard Wireless Internet services available includestock quotes show times restaurant reviews and door-to-door direc-tions right from your Wireless Internet-ready phoneWireless Internetservices that come standard on Internet-ready phones are pretty muchlimited to the basic services at this point but are expanding all the timeMany companies are creating new ways to use the Wireless Internetfrom all Internet-ready phones to allow the user to customize thephone for Web surfing Some of the services available today includeweather sports scores news headlines horoscopes e-mail notificationand calendar reminders
The one feature that all Wireless Internet users love is the ability tohave e-mail access in their back pockets Check your e-mail wheneverand wherever you wantmdashwhile watching your daughterrsquos soccer gameor at the top of a mountain Some wireless carriers e-mail packagesallow you to print your e-mail simply by faxing the e-mail to thenearest fax machineThis is very handy if you need a copy of an inven-tory list or directions to hand to someone else
Each wireless carrier will have slightly different services thatcome with their Wireless Internet package so be sure to look for onethat fits your needs If you only want to casually cruise the Web thenlook for one that is free or has a low per-use cost If you will dependon your wireless phone for data as much as voice make sure that thedata coverage that you will receive is of similar quality as the voicecoverage that you expect Also make sure that the e-mail use that youwant is what is available Most e-mail accounts that reside behind a
wwwgetconnectedcom
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50 Chapter 4 bull Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It
firewall (for example Exchange or Lotus enterprise applications) canbe tricky to access with your wireless phone It is easier to direct youwireless phone to standard Internet e-mail accounts called POP3 e-mail
What Services Can I Get from Third PartiesMaking a Web site accessible to a wireless device is quite a challenge Sofar only a small portion of sites approximately 15 million of the morethan one billion Web sites provide any Wireless Internet contentAs theuse of Web-enabled wireless devices grows you can expect increasingnumbers of Webmasters to create wireless content for their Web sites toget the attention of the new wireless Web surfers
TOP WIRELESS INTERNET PORTALS
These portals are the most popular available to send customizedinformation via the Wireless Internet straight to your wirelessphone
Yahoo (httpmobileyahoocom) MSN Mobile (httpmobilemsncom) America Online (httpdevicesaolcommobile) Excite (wwwexcitecominfoexcite_mobile) Vindigo (wwwvindigocom)
Wireless carriers are partnering with many Internet contentproviders to add value to their customerrsquos Wireless Internet experienceMany of the content providers allow users to download simple contentfor specific items like weather or airline schedules and the other itemsmentioned earlier Many of the top names on the Internet are creatingcustomized areas for wireless users to access their own customizedinformation wherever they are whenever they want itThe wireless car-riers are partnering with these portals to keep their customers accessingtheir Wireless Internet often adding to the value that they bring to thewireless experience
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Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It bull Chapter 4 51
Portals that lead the Internet are hoping to get the same advantageon the Wireless Internet and attract the new generation of Internetusers to their wireless areas New names are trying to lead the charge inthe Wireless Internet and take a piece of the customer base away fromthe established Web leaders by enhancing the experience beyond whatthe existing Web portals are doingThe future of Wireless Internet islooking to be a great one for what will be available with increaseddownload speeds graphics color and interactive access like games withmultiple players
Wireless Data and FaxAn increasing number of digital phones can now be used as if theywere modemsTherefore with a data cable you can use your phoneand a laptop to connect to your usual Internet service provider(AOL Earthlink etc) while on the roadThese phones can also beused for receiving faxes as long as your laptop has a fax softwareapplication
If you want to use your wireless phone as a modem you need toask yourself the following questions
1 Does the phone I want to buy have data orand faxcapability
When you are purchasing a phone make sure the phone isDataFax CapableThis will assure you that your phone willbe able to operate as a modem
2 Does your wireless service provider offer that function
There is usually a low monthly cost associated with the dataservice However since you will most likely be using yourplan minutes to access the Internet on your computer theonly charges you should incur would be for long distance(if not included with your plan) or additional minutes (ifyou exceed your included plan minutes) In any case youshould check with your wireless service provider prior toaccessing the Internet on your computer with your wirelessphone
wwwgetconnectedcom
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52 Chapter 4 bull Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It
3 What data speed is supported on the network towhich you want to subscribe and what kind of datatransfer is it
This is a very important question because not all types of net-works allow for the same data speeds and they donrsquot use thesame methods of transferring dataWireless carriers use eithercircuit-switched data transfer or packet-switched data transfermeaning that the network either ties up a single channel foryour data to be transmitted or it sends the data in smallpackets from one end to the other using multiple channelsThe difference is that typically packet-switched data is fasterand more reliable since the network has the ability to detectcorrupted data streams when a packet is missing and can cor-rect itself or ask your computer to fix it whereas circuit-switched data either will be working or it will notmdashthechannel will be on or off If the channel turns off in themiddle of a data transmission typically you have to start allover again
wwwgetconnectedcom
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SummaryThe Wireless Internet is basically a subset of the wired InternetYoushould remember that accessing the Internet with your cellular phonedoes not give you to the same amounts of computer memory pro-cessing power or monitor space as your desktop computer does soyour experience will be quite a bit differentWhen you use your wire-less phone as a modem from your laptop to access the Internet youcan see the same things you do when plugged in at work or at homeit just takes a bit longermdashand is more prone to need reconnection
Wireless phones are still basically meant to do one primarythingmdashallow you to talk to any one any time from anywhereTheaddition of data capabilities is something that is incredibly useful formany people and is adding to the overall features that you can get withyour wireless phone purchasemdashbut the ability to toss your computer isstill years awayYou can increase your productivity access informationthat is critical to you and keep in touch with e-mail and short mes-sages using your wireless phone many users become quickly addictedto this capability
Do you need the Wireless Internet If you are the type of personwho always needs to be in touch and know what is going on with youre-mail and electronic calendar but you also need to be in two or threeplaces at once then yes you should strongly consider the addition ofthe Wireless Internet to your cellular phone service plan
Quick ReferencesWhat Is the Wireless Internet
Τhe Wireless Internet adds Internet access to your wirelessphone
Use your phone to see short pieces of information likeweather news and sports
You can access your e-mail from your phone so that you willalways be in touch
How Does It Work
Your wireless phone uses a Wireless Internet standard and amicro-browser to access the Web
Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It bull Chapter 4 53
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Internet pages are written in a new language (WML orWMLScript) that is viewable on wireless phones
Internet content is sent to the phone as text without graphicsdue to slower speeds and smaller screens than the wiredInternet
What Kind of Phone Do I Need
Many phones are available that include a micro-browser andthe ability to access the Web
Prices for phones with Wireless Internet Capabilities areapproximately $100 to $500
What Services Can I Get from the Wireless Carriers
Wireless carriers have a number of options but primarily usestandard content providers with a preset selection of sites
Stock quotes weather movie times directions and sportscores are all examples of information that is available frommost wireless carriers who offer Wireless Internet access
E-mail and short message service are two-way data messagingoffers from wireless carriers
What Services Can I Get from Third Parties
Wireless portals are expanding the number of sites you can view
Currently Internet search engines are developing searchengines that will allow you to search the Web for informationfrom your wireless phone
Wireless Data and Fax
Connecting your wireless phone to your laptop can give youaccess to the Internet with the same look and feel as thewired Internet just a bit slower
Faxing to and from your laptop using your wireless phone as amodem can be a life saver if you are stuck on the road andneed to get some work done
Make sure your phone can act as a modem and that yourcomputer can handle dialing out over a wireless device
54 Chapter 4 bull Wireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need It
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Equipment
Part II
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The Componentsof a WirelessPhone
Quick References in this chapter
The Basics
A Beginnerrsquos Guide to Phone Features
The Cutting Edge
Summary
Quick References
57
Chapter 5
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58 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
IntroductionChoosing the right phone for you is important For many people a wire-less phone is a constant companion and fashion accessory For others awireless phone is a functional device that they dig out when they need toplace a call Determining how you feel about your phone will make iteasier to decide which features are more or less important to you
The main components that make a phone more or less attractiveare size standard features advanced features and accessory optionsTheprice of a phone usually is determined by these componentsThesmaller the size and weight of a phone the more expensive it tends tobeThe more advanced features (like wireless Internet access) the phonehas the more expensive it tends to beAccessory options such as higherquality batteries interchangeable faceplates hands-free kits and batterychargers donrsquot change the initial price of the phone but they do impactthe bottom-line price
Wireless carriers tend to offer at least one less expensive basicmodel phone with their plansThat phone is usually a good qualityphone with standard features an average weight and an average batteryThe sectionldquoA Beginnerrsquos Guide to Phone Featuresrdquo will detail whatyou can expect to get from that type of phone
Every wireless carrier will also offer a ldquohotrdquo new phone that has thelatest and greatest everythingmdashand is the most expensiveThese phonesare typically the latest innovation in size (palm size) exterior appeal(stainless steel) advanced features (MP3 players) or a combination ofthese componentsThe sectionldquoThe Cutting Edgerdquo will review todayrsquoslatest novelties
If you want more than the basic phone but donrsquot need as much asthe hot phone there are plenty of options Knowing what the compo-nents do will help you buy the phone that works best for you and thatfits into your budget
The BasicsThe Ericsson R289LX is one of the most popular phones todaybecause it offers many of the best features for a reasonable price Figure51 shows the Ericsson R289lX and calls attention to the various ele-ments you will find on most wireless phonesThese elements aredescribed in further detail in the following sections
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The Components of a Wireless Phone bull Chapter 5 59
Display Screen Screen Size If you plan to use the phone for wireless
Internet applications then a larger multiline screen is amust Look at how many lines of text can fit on a screenand how many characters per line Also be sure to check ifyou are able to read the letters on the screen or if they arejust simply too small
Monochromatic versus Color Displays Most wirelessphones have monochromatic (ie black and white all amberor all green) displays but there are a growing number ofphones that offer color LCD displaysWireless phones withcolor screens use more memory and are more expensive theyare the cutting edge of wireless phone display technology
Antenna Antennas are internal fixed or extendable Extendable antennas must befully extended to give you their maximum rangeThe best kind of
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 51 The Basic Components of All Cellular PhonesIllustrated Using the Ericsson R289LX
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60 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
antenna depends on where you use your phone and how strong thecoverage is in that area Most of the time an internal or fixed antennaworks just fine but when you are at the edge of a wireless carrierrsquos cov-erage area you may get better quality from a phone with an extendableantenna
Menu Selection and Scroll Keys The look and feel of the menu selection and scroll keys varies by phonemodelThe usability of these keys is very important if you plan to useyour phone for Internet surfing or for text messaging
Scroll Keys Let you quickly surf through menus submenusand phone books
Menu Selection Keys Let you choose the option that iscurrently displayed above the key
Phone Menu Lets you customize your phone to make ityour ownmdashfor example the sound of the ring the volume ofthe earpiece or the key pad when you press the numbers andso onThe phone menu is where you will find all these set-tings every phone is slightly different as to how the menu islaid out and displayedThe userrsquos manual for your phone willwalk you through all the selections
Other Keys To save on size most keypads have multiple functions Many featuresare available through the menus but shortcuts and certain basic func-tions are available only by pressing the keys in a certain order Forexample to lock your keypad you may press 0 or to speed dial anumber you may press 8 Reading the userrsquos manual that comes withthe phone will explain exactly how this works for the phone youchoose
Keypad Letters When you use a wireless phone to sendtwo-way messages or e-mail you enter the text using yourkeypad Each number corresponds with certain letters forexample A B and C are on the 2 key In order to type a Cinto your phone you press the 2 key three times
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The Components of a Wireless Phone bull Chapter 5 61
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Clear Key Most phones have a key that will allow you toerase the last number or letter you entered (usually labeledCLR) Press the CLR button once to remove the last digitentered or hold it down to erase the entire entry
Message Key Most digital phones are able to receive textmessages and will also display when you have a voice mailwaiting for youThe message key will allow you to accessthese messages for review
PREDICTIVE TEXT ENTRY
Many wireless phones are loaded with software that helps you typewords with fewer keystrokes Tegic (wwwtegiccom) is one com-pany that offers software called T9 (wwwt9com) which helps youuse the nine keys on your phone to type thousands of words bypressing each number key only once instead of up to three timesWhen you are typing many short messages using your phone it ismuch easier to use predictive text entry software than continuallytyping the number keys
Battery The quality of the battery will determine the talkstandby time of yourphone Generally phones are sold with a standard battery that gives youan average talkstandby time Extra batteries can be bought as acces-sories and upgraded later so we do not recommend making thetalkstandby time of the standard battery the decisive factor in deter-mining which phone you choose to purchase (see Chapter 7ldquoAccessories for Your Wireless Phonerdquo)
Jacks If you plan on charging your phone in the car or using a hands-freeaccessory then you want to make sure that the phone model that youpurchase will support these kinds of accessoriesA quick way to verifycompatibility is to make sure the jacks for these accessories are physi-cally available
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62 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
Hands-Free Jack Some phones require a special attachmentfor using a head set or a hands-free device Others accessoriesoften offer a standard plug that will work with many differenttypes of phones
Charger Jack (or connection) Most phones will have anumber of charger types available (standard charger rapidcharger and car adaptor charger)They each have advantagesso if you want a specific charger make sure the phone supports it
A Beginnerrsquos Guide to Phone Features No one can decide for you which features are more important thanothers However knowing what the features are can help you decide foryourself if it is something that you will never use or something youcanrsquot live without Since the type of features a phone has is directly pro-portional to the amount it may cost you reviewing the list of featureswill help you decide between the $400 phone and the $40 phoneAndwhen you are comparing similar phones the one that has the right fea-tures for you is the one you want
Standard Features Standard features tend to vary by phone manufacturer (such asMotorola or Nokia) and model rather than by wireless service carrierA Nokia 8200 model offered by Cingular will have the same standardfeatures as a Nokia 8200 model offered by ATampT Wireless (eventhough they use different networks) How the different wireless car-riers choose to highlight and advertise those features can vary widelyThe following features are in alphabetical order and are available onmost phones currently on the market Some very basic phones maynot have all of these features
Automatic Redial Let your phone do the work for youAwireless phone with automatic redial will continually dial acall until you get through to the number you are attemptingto reach
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The Components of a Wireless Phone bull Chapter 5 63
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Battery Level Indicator Canrsquot remember when youcharged your battery last This indicator is usually fixed onthe first screen so you always know how much power youhave left
Calculator Always have a calculator handy Great for splittingthe bill at restaurants
CalendarReminder Set up reminders for important meet-ings birthdays and such
Call Log Tracks recently dialed received and missed callsThe number of calls stored varies by phone but is usuallybetween five and twenty
Clock Leave your alarm clock at home Most phone clocksalso have an alarm feature
Display Own Phone Number Great for when you firstget your phone and are updating all of your friends and familyon your new number but you just canrsquot remember it
External VolumeRinger Control Turn the volume ofyour ringer up when you are outside turn it down when yougo out to dinner or to the movies
Games Every manufacturer has their own games installedThese are great for occupying free moments while waiting inline for example
Incoming Number Storage This is a quick and easy wayto add phone numbers to your phone bookWhen you get acall choose this option and add the name later
Keypad Lock Allows you to lock the keypad so you donrsquotaccidentally make a call while your phone is in your bag orpocket Especially useful for ldquonon-fliprdquo phone designs
Last Number Recall Did you hang up too soon Last-number recall allows you call the person right back withouthaving to find the number again
Message Indicator Lets you know if you have a numerictext or voice message waiting
Numeric Paging Use your cellular phone as a pager noneed to carry around two devices
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64 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
PersonalizedCustom Ring Tones Set your ring to what-ever makes you happyYou will always be able to tell itrsquos yourphone Or program a different ring for each of your favoritecallers so you can tell who is calling before you even findyour phone In addition to the standard tones many Web sitesalso offer downloadable rings that increase your options (forcompatible phones)
Phone Book (size varies) Every phone has some type ofphone bookThe most basic phone books allow you to storeabout 20 phone numbers with namesThe most advancedphone books allow you to store over 100 entries with businesscard information e-mail addresses and up to four contactnumbers per entry
Security Lock Password-protect your phone so that onlyyou can use it Most phones let you do this manually orautomatically Advanced phones let you password-protectsections of your information (like your phone book) A nicefeature to have in case you accidentally leave your phonesomewhere
Signal Strength Indicator Like the battery indicator thisindicator is usually fixed on the first screen so you alwaysknow how good you can expect your reception to be
Speed DialingOne-Touch Dialing This feature allowsyou to program certain keys to dial frequently called numbersKeeps the fumbling to a minimum when you are on the goor in a hurry
Vibrate Mode Similar to the ring volume the vibrate modeis considered most polite when you are at the movies or otherplaces where discretion is advisedVibrate mode can also workbetter than ring volume in extremely loud places like con-certs Depending on the manufacturer vibrate can be a func-tion of either the phone or the battery If it is the battery youcan always upgrade later
Volume Controls Allows you to turn up the volume forlow talkers and turn down the volume for loud talkersThemost advanced phones have a built-in function that modulatesthe volume for you
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The Components of a Wireless Phone bull Chapter 5 65
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Features Requiring Service All of the following features are considered standard features on mostphones but they also require your service carrier to provide the serviceThese services can be included or they can have a per-use monthlycharge depending on the wireless service plan you choose So in orderto use any of the following features you need to check your phonemodel and your service plan
Call Forwarding Allows you to send calls to another phonenumber when your wireless phone number is unavailable(turned off out of range or busy) Depending on the primaryuse of your phone you can use this feature to redirect calls toyour office or home and make sure your callers are alwaystaken care of
Call Waiting If you prefer to take your calls as they come inyou can use call waitingThis feature notifies you if anothercaller is trying to get through when you are already on thetelephoneThen you can put the first caller on hold whileyou take the other call switch between the two callers or endone call to take the other Or you can ignore the tones andlet the second caller be forwarded to your voicemail
Caller ID Lets you see whorsquos calling before you answer Onmost models it also works with your phone book to provide aname if you have programmed the name into your phone book
Emergency Calling Every network uses 911 for emergencycalls Some phones also have preprogrammed ldquohotrdquo keys thatallow one-touch dialing for personal emergenciesAccordingto the FCC as long as you are in an area that has any wirelesscoverage at all and regardless of the activation status of yourphone your 911 call will be placed
Roaming Indicator This on-screen indicator lets you knowthat you are entering an area where you will be charged addi-tionally for your calls It is up to the wireless carrier to decideif they provide this service or not
Three-Way Calling Need to make plans with more thanone person Three-way calling lets you conference in twoother phones so you donrsquot have to call anyone back More
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66 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
advanced phones have multi-party calling allowing you toconference with up to five additional phones
Voice-Activated Functions Talk to your phone and it doeswhat you tell it toThis feature can be as limited as the abilityto dial certain numbers or it can retrieve your sports scoreupdates depending on the phone model
Voicemail Allows people to leave you a message when yourphone is unavailable (turned off out of range or busy)Thisfeature can let you be a one-person office if you prefer not toforward your calls
Advanced Features Requiring Service These features are available on a growing number of phones Everymanufacturer and every wireless carrier offers at least one phone thatallows you to use the following featuresThe usability and availability ofthese features gets better every year So if one of these features is inter-esting to you but not the right thing now check back next year and seehow it has improved
Text Messaging or Short Message Service (SMS)Allows you to exchange short alphanumeric messages withother phones wireless devices or PCs If you plan to use thisfeature often make sure you get a phone with a comfortablekeypad and large enough display area Some text messagingservices are only for receiving messages so if you want to sendmessages make sure it is two-way capable
Wireless Internet Access (WAP) Allows you to surf theWeb in a manner of speaking Sites that have created WAPinterfaces let you get the basics of what you need includingweather stocks news and scheduled updates May also allowyou to access e-mail depending on the phone model andplan Keypad ergonomics and display screen size will play abig part in how much you like this feature (See Chapter 4ldquoWireless Data and the Wireless InternetmdashDo I Need Itrdquo formore information)
DataFax Capable Allows you to use your phone as amodem or a fax if your wireless carrier supports this service
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The Components of a Wireless Phone bull Chapter 5 67
Speeds are available up to 144 Kbps but they vary by wirelesscarrier (see Chapter 4ldquoWireless Data and the WirelessInternetmdashDo I Need Itrdquo for more information)
The Cutting EdgeThese features are available on a limited basis now but they will bewidely available soon enough Most of these features exist around theidea of combining your wireless phone with your Palm or other PDA(see Chapter 13ldquoThe Future of Wireless Communicationsrdquo) so youend up with a phone Palm and Internet access in one device that goeseverywhere with you
Business Card Exchange Allows you to use the infraredport on your phone to send or receive data from other com-patible phones or handheld devices
Currency Converter Think of it as an advanced calculatorthat helps you travel smart If you are an international travelerthis could be a very handy feature
Infrared This is the physical feature that allows you to do allthat data beaming back and forth Check around theperimeter of the phone for a little red plastic rectangle
MP3 Player This type of phone is a two-for-one bargainYouonly have to carry around one device and you get all your callsand can listen to your favorite tunes in between calls
Multicolor Display Screen Right now the colors beingoffered are basic red blue green yellow Some phones letyou switch from color to color for a monochrome viewOther phones let you highlight certain features using thecolors For example your Momrsquos number could be in redyour best friendrsquos number in green and your incoming stockupdates can be in blue As the wireless Web applicationsbecome more advanced color may become more necessary
Picture Messaging Allows you to store and send smallimages with your text messagesThe phone model may havesome pre-entered images already loaded
Real-Time Clock Never have to set your clock againmdashletyour phone connect to the Internet and fix itself
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68 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
Speaker Phone Capability Eliminates the need for ahands-free set allowing you to do other tasks while you talk
Sync Your Phone with a Palm or PC Whether you enteryour data on the go or in the office once you sync you willhave all of the information you need in all the places you useitThis option requires additional software and may requireadditional hardware
To Do Lists Helps you keep up with your daily tasks It alsocoordinates with your calendar
Voice Memo Recorder Need to remember something butdonrsquot have time to enter it Use your phonersquos memo recorderand leave yourself a message for later
Predictive Text Input Sure sending text messages surfingthe Web and using your phone as your Palm sound great buthow are you going to enter all that data One short-cut is tosync with your PCThe other is to have this feature predictivetext input Using a stored dictionary the phone ldquoguessesrdquo whatword you are typing in and lets you finish it fasterThis fea-ture also lets you insert certain words or phrases by using hotkeys you program yourself
wwwgetconnectedcom
68 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
165_cell_C05qk 111401 435 PM Page 68
SummaryThe features available on a wireless phone are one way to differentiateone phone from another If you know the difference between the fea-tures you can quickly scan the lists of features and decide if a phone isworth the price for youYou wouldnrsquot pay more for a car because itcomes with a steering wheel and you shouldnrsquot pay more because aphone offers different ring tones
Knowing your preferences and potential uses is also important Ifyou just need a phone that wonrsquot break and wonrsquot break your walletany phone with standard features will suit your purposes If yoursquore theperson on your block that always has the latest gadgets then wirelessWeb access is a must-have for you and your eye will be wanderingtoward the PDA phones If you are looking to combine all your devicesinto one then you are definitely looking at the cutting-edge phones
Quick ReferencesThe Basics
The basic physical features of a phone are the same frommodel to model
The way different models package these features varies greatly(see Chapter 6ldquoGuide to Cellular Phonesrdquo)
Certain physical features like display screen can cause thephone to be more expensive if the screen is especially large ormulticolor
A Beginnerrsquos Guide to Phone Features
Most phones have these features in some capacity
Standard features vary from manufacturer to manufacturerrather than by wireless carrier
Standard features include automatic redial phone book bat-tery level indicator and more
In order to get these common features not only do you needa compatible phone but you also need a wireless plan thatsupports the service you are looking for
The Components of a Wireless Phone bull Chapter 5 69
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70 Chapter 5 bull The Components of a Wireless Phone
The wireless plan may charge additional fees for these service-based features
Other features include call waiting voice mail and three-waycalling
These features also require service support from your wirelesscarrier but they are available only in certain phone models
The wireless plan may charge additional fees for these service-based features
These features are improving all of the time
Service-based features also include text messaging andWireless Internet
The Cutting Edge
These features are the latest technology advances for phones
Be prepared to pay more for these features
Look here if you are trying to combine multiple devices (egyour phone and your PDA) into one
These features include MP3 player sync with your PC andspeaker phone
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to WirelessPhones
Quick References in this chapter
Size and Weight
Networks Available
Case Design
Color
Cost
Talk Time and Standby Time
Popular Wireless Phones
Summary
Quick References
71
Chapter 6
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72 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
IntroductionYou have several options when selecting a phone that fits your pricerange and with enough features to suit your lifestyle there are manydiverse styles of phonesThe form color and size of the phone youcarry can serve as a reflection of your character and speak volumes tothose around you as to what type of person you are
As current general rules dictate the most popular phones areextremely small thin or lightweightThese days it seems that just asone manufacturer creates the smallest lightest or thinnest phone thereis another company developing a phone that claims to be even better
In addition to phones varying in size and weight many phones letyou change the appearance of the phone by letting you change thefaceplateThe ability to make such transformations makes it feel as ifyou have an entirely different phone by spending only a small amount
With so many options the decision as to which style of phone isright for you is a difficult one to make In this chapter we explore thevariety of options that are available hopefully making the choice clearerfor you
Size and WeightFor the past couple of years phones have become smaller and smallerto the point where it has become almost miraculous that even smallerphones are being produced In the 1980s wireless phones ranged in sizefrom 8 to 12 inches However as with all technology engineers devel-oped methods of creating even smaller phones to the point we are attoday where we can tuck our phones away in a shirt or pants pocketand forget about it
Large PhonesSurprisingly enough any phone that is more than five inches in length isconsidered largeAdditionally these phones are usually the heaviestphones on the market with most weighing more than six ounces Largersized phones may not necessarily be heavier than smaller phones how-ever since several manufacturers are creating new phones that are longbut extremely thin and light If size or weight is a strong concern for youa small- or medium-sized lightweight phone which offers similar featuresin a much more manageable size may be a better option for you
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 73
Some of the phones that are classified as large often are used inpromotions as free phones but others like the Kyocera (shown inFigure 64) are the most advanced phones on the market today and canbe as expensive as $500 Figures 61 through 64 depict the most pop-ular types of todayrsquos large phones
Figure 61 Motorola i700 86 oz 52 inches
Figure 62 Ericsson R289LX61 oz 51 inches
Figure 63 Nokia 5165 60 oz 52 inches
Figure 64 Kyocera QCP 603574 oz 56 inches
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74 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
Medium-Sized PhonesA phone that is four to five inches long and three to five ounces inweight qualifies as medium-sizedThese phones are typically in themiddle price range and have many of the latest features Some exceptionsare phones that include the latest and greatest features like the ability toload and play MP3 music Figures 65 through 68 are indicative of themedium-sized phones that are most common with the general public
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 65 Nokia 3360 48 oz 45 inches
Figure 66 Samsung N200 47 oz 43 inches
Figure 67 Touchpoint 210046 oz 48 inches
Figure 68 Samsung UproarMP3 Phone 42 oz 42 inches
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 75
Small or Compact PhonesAny phone shorter than four inches is considered to be small or com-pact In addition to being the smallest sized phones on the market theyare usually the lightestYou will find many of the cutting edge featureson these phones including color screens and the ability to load picturesthat can pop up on the screen when certain people call you Figures 69through 611 illustrate some of the more popular compact phones avail-able today
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 69 Nokia 8260 34 oz 40 inches
Figure 610 Touchpoint 110042 oz 34 inches
Figure 611 Touchpoint 5200 37 oz 34 inches
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76 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
Networks AvailableMost of the phones available today are digital phones but if theyoperate only on a single digital frequency and not on the more ubiqui-tous analog network you may end up with a phone that works only invery limited areas Phones on the market today fall into three cate-gories
Single Mode Dual Mode
Tri-Mode
For more information regarding analog and digital technologies seeChapter 2ldquoAnalog DigitalmdashWhatrsquos the Differencerdquo
Single Mode Some of the newest digital phones being introduced support only asingle digital network because the manufacturer wanted to get it tomarket quickly to make sure they got the newest coolest phone on theshelf firstAll manufacturers produce single mode phones But theproblem may be that itrsquos cool when it works downtown but if you tryto use it when driving to your house in the suburbs you may be out ofluck Before purchasing a phone remember to check the phonersquos speci-fications or ask a customer service representative to explain the phonersquosmode to make sure it will work everywhere you need it to work
Dual ModeMany digital phones are dual mode that is they work on two net-worksmdashdigital and analog Some of the phones that are available as dualmode actually work on three networksmdashfor example the 800 MHzanalog network the 800 MHz digital network and the 1900 MHz dig-ital networkThese phones will allow you the most use because theyare most likely to find an available network wherever you are
Tri-Mode A small number of phones available today are called tri-modeThismeans that they work on three frequencies 800 MHz analog 1900MHz US digital and another international digital frequencyTri-mode
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 77
phones are the ones that will work overseas in many countries aroundthe world
Case DesignIn addition to varying dramatically in dimension and weight wirelessphones also differ greatly in their overall body styleAll phones fall intoone of two categories
Traditional
Flip
Traditional Style Roughly 75 percent of wireless phones fall under the traditional designcategory incorporating a one-piece design with keypad and screen inplain view and accessible at all times Nokia originally popularized thetraditional body style and has incorporated this design into most of thephones it sellsThe traditional-style phones vary dramatically in size inweight Figures 612 through 614 are good examples of the mostcommon traditional style
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 612 The Nokia 5165 Figure 613 The Motorola i2000
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78 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
Flip StyleFlip style phones feature a cover that either partially or completelyencloses the phone in the closed positionThe flip feature can serveas an answer or end call function and protects the keypad andor dis-play screen depending on the size of the flip Almost all flip phonescan be classified as compact or small in terms of their size andweight Some of the most common flip phones can be seen inFigures 615 through 617
ColorBermuda blue gecko green red pepper brushed aluminum With somany options available it is hard to decide which color will suit youbestA phone that looks really fashionable when you purchase it maylose its appeal as the months pass One consolation is that there are sev-eral phones available (ie Nokia 3360 Nokia 8290 and Kyocera QCP-2035) that allow you to change the faceplate of the phone virtuallygiving you a brand new phone for just a fraction of the price (SeeChapter 7ldquoAccessories for your Wireless Phonerdquo for more informationon faceplates)
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 614 The Ericsson R289LX
165_cell_C06qk 111401 437 PM Page 78
Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 79
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Figure 617 The Samsung N200
Figure 615 The Motorolai1000
Figure 616 The Touchpoint1100
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80 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
CostPhone prices range from free to $600 with most of the phones aver-aging between $100 and $200The prices that you see are the retailprices which include the requirement to sign up for a service planwhen buying the phone If you are looking to buy a phone without aservice plan the prices tend to be higher
In fact there are few places where you can buy a phone withoutthe service plan attached today Phones that cost $200 with a servicecontract typically carry a list price of $500 if you would like to pur-chase the phone without a designated service plan Cellular serviceproviders pay a rebate to retailers in exchange for a service contract andretailers pass on the cost savings to customersmdashas long as the servicecontract remains in the deal
You pay a premium for tiny lightweight models whether they are dig-ital or analogWireless phones that sell for under $100 are on the budgetplanThese phones are typically larger and heavier with minimal featuresalthough they generally perform just as well as phones that are moreexpensive Mid-priced phones in the $100 to $250 range are smaller andlighter with extended-life batteries alphanumeric text messaging direc-tory features and more High-end phones sell for $400 and up and offerthe latest features the smallest designs and the most attractive styling
Talk Time and Standby TimeDepending on how often you plan to use your phone talk time andstandby time amounts are something that you should definitely considerwhen selecting a wireless phone If you are traveling across the UnitedStates do you want your phone to run out of power when you reachMissouri Of course not However if you plan on using your phoneonly for short conversations and have the ability to recharge the phoneevery evening then talk time and standby time will not be as big of aconcern for youTalk time is the actual amount of time spent on con-versation and standby is the time a phone is on and ready to receive acall Digital phones are more efficient and have longer talk and standbytimes than analog phonesA battery that offers 110 minutes talktime50 hours standby time in analog mode might deliver more thanthree hours talk time or eight days standby when used with a digitalphone If the battery runs out it simply turns off the wireless phoneuntil you recharge it or you are able to replace the battery with a fully
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 81
charged oneA longer talk time could save you a lot of time and frus-tration but if you do not talk on your phone a lot it could be unneces-sary Batteries generally have a range from 60 to 600 minutes for talktime Standby time ranges from 2 to 484 hours
Another thing to remember when you look at the talk time andstandby time for a battery or phonemdashvery seldom do you use only talktime or only standby time you typically use a combination of the twoJust as your carrsquos mileage is better on the highway your phonersquos batterylasts longer while you are not talking (standby) But always beware justlike your carldquoyour mileage may varyrdquo from what the manufacturerstates in the specifications
Popular Wireless PhonesThis section will allow you to browse through the specifics for manyphones on the market (in alphabetical order) so you can compare themside-by-sideWersquove taken some of the more popular wireless phones avail-able today and provided you with the following details for each phone
Service Provider Price Weight Height Mode Internet Ready
Text Messaging Capabilities
Remember however that manufacturers are always creating newphones and that the phones and prices displayed in this section are thecurrent offerings New models may be released to the general publicand prices for consumers are subject to change
NOTE
This section shows some of the phones available from a few wire-less carriers so you can see the wide variety of phones and pricesout there today For a complete list of currently available phonescheck wwwgetconnectedcom because the phone models andprices change often
wwwgetconnectedcom
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82 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Ericsson R289LX
Service ProviderATampT Price $9999 Weight 6 ounces Height 63 inches ModeTri-mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 83
The Kyocera QCP-2035
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $9999 Weight 44 ounces Height 51 inches ModeTri-mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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84 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Kyocera QCP-6035
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $39999 Weight 74 ounces Height 56 inches ModeTri-mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 85
The Mitsubishi T250
Service ProviderATampT Price $9999 Weight 7 ounces Height 56 inches ModeTri-Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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86 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Motorola i1000plus
Service Provider Nextel Price $14999 Weight 54 ounces Height 45 inches Mode Single Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 87
The Motorola i2000
Service Provider Nextel Price $19999 Weight 79 ounces Height 50 inches ModeTri-mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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88 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Motorola i550plus
Service Provider Nextel Price $7999 Weight 9 ounces Height 52 inches Mode Single Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 89
The Motorola i700plus
Service Provider Nextel Price $9999 Weight 86 ounces Height 52 inches Mode Single Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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90 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Motorola V2397
Service ProviderATampT Price $4999 Weight 38 ounces Height 51 inches ModeTri-mode Internet Ready No
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 91
The Nokia 3360
Service ProviderATampT Price $12999 Weight 48 ounces Height 45 inches ModeTri-mode Internet Ready No
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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92 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Nokia 5165
Service ProviderATampT Price $7999 Weight 6 ounces Height 52 inches ModeTri-Mode Internet Ready No
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 93
The Nokia 6160
Service ProviderATampT Price $12999 Weight 6 ounces Height 52 inches ModeTri-mode Internet Ready No
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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94 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Nokia 8260
Service ProviderATampT Price $19999 Weight 34 ounces Height 41 inches ModeTri-mode Internet Ready No
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 95
The Panasonic Allure
Service ProviderATampT Price $14999 Weight 27 ounces Height 46 inches ModeTri-Mode Internet Ready No
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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96 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Panasonic Versio
Service ProviderATampT Price $12999 Weight 31 ounces Height 46 inches ModeTri-mode Internet Ready No
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 97
The Samsung N200
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $17999 Weight 47 ounces Height 43 inches Mode Dual Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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98 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Samsung Uproar MP3
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $19999 Weight 42 ounces Height 42 inches Mode Dual Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 99
The Sanyo SCP-5000
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $49999 Weight 36 ounces Height 37 inches Mode Dual Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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100 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Sanyo SCP-6000
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $29999 Weight 23 ounces Height 50 inches Mode Single Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 101
The Sprint Touchpoint 1100
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $12999 Weight 42 ounces Height 34 inches Mode Single Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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102 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Sprint Touchpoint 2100
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $12999 Weight 46 ounces Height 48 inches Mode Dual Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 103
Sprint Touchpoint 2200
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $14999 Weight 45 ounces Height 48 inches Mode Dual Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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104 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
The Sprint Touchpoint 5200
Service Provider Sprint PCS Price $19999 Weight 37 ounces Height 34 inches Mode Dual Mode Internet ReadyYes
Text Messaging CapabilitiesYes
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Guide to Wireless Phones bull Chapter 6 105
wwwgetconnectedcom
SummaryThere are many things to evaluate when deciding on the wirelessphone for youThe height weight features and price are just some ofthe things to consider when making your decision
Quick ReferencesSize and Weight
For the past several years phones have become smaller andsmaller
Large phones are five or more inches in length and usuallyweigh more than six ounces
Medium phones are four to five inches in length and weighthree to five ounces
Small or compact phones are less that four inches long andusually weigh less than four ounces
Networks Available Most of the phones available today are digital phones but if
they operate on only a single digital frequency and not on themore ubiquitous analog network you may end up with aphone that works only in very limited areas Phones on themarket today fall into three categories
Single mode Dual mode Tri-Mode
Case Design In addition to varying dramatically in dimension and weight
wireless phones also differ greatly in their overall body styleAll phones fall into one of two categories traditional or flip
Color Phones come in many different colors
If you want to be able to change the color of your phonepurchase one that allows you to change the faceplate
165_cell_C06qk 111401 437 PM Page 105
Cost
Phone prices range from free to $600 with most of thephones averaging from $100 to $200
Most wireless phones must be purchased with a service planto get the retail pricing buying a phone without a plan cancause the price to skyrocket
Talk Time and Standby Time
Talk time is the actual amount of time spent talking on yourphone it ranges from two to eight hours depending on thephone
Standby is the actual amount of time can be phone on andready to receive calls it ranges from 50 to 300 hoursdepending on the phone
Popular Wireless Phones
Compare phones by service provider price weight heightmode Internet capability and text messaging capability
106 Chapter 6 bull Guide to Wireless Phones
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C06qk 111401 437 PM Page 106
Accessories forYour WirelessPhone
Quick References in this chapter
Hands-Free Kits
Cases and Belt Clips
Chargers
Batteries
Faceplates
Summary
Quick References
107
Chapter 7
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108 Chapter 7 bull Accessories for Your Wireless Phone
IntroductionWhen you are deciding on the wireless phone you want to buy youmay want to consider what kind of accessories you will needDepending on how you use your phone certain accessories like ahands-free kit or a cigarette lighter adapter could come in quite handyIf you are a fashion conscious individual you may want to buy a colorfulfaceplate or a light-up antennaWe especially recommend using a hands-free kit in the car because talking on the phone while driving can proveto be quite dangerous and has even been outlawed in certain cities
The accessories shown here are just a small number of the totalaccessories availableWe have broken them down into categories so youcan get an idea of the types of accessories you may want to add to yourphone purchaseThe prices vary based on the model of phone and themanufacturer of the accessory Once you choose your phone howevermake sure that the accessories you want are available for it before youactually make the purchase
Hands-Free KitsGiven recent national legislation outlawing operation of a wirelessphone while driving hands-free kits quickly have become the mostpopular type of accessory Simple hands-free kits include an earpiece
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 71 The Nokia Hands-Free Kit
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Accessories for Your Wireless Phone bull Chapter 7 109
and microphone allowing you to talk on your phone without usingyour hands Kits start at $20 and come in a variety of styles Simplehands-free kits come in a variety of styles so it is important to check allyour options before purchasing Many phones also come with a hands-free earpiecemicrophone so check to make sure you do not buy one ifyou donrsquot need to Figures 71 and 72 show two the more popularhands-free kits and car kits available today
Car hands-free kits sometimes require professional installationand include a microphone that typically attaches to a visor a speakerthat is mounted near the dash a cradle that holds the phone and ajunction box where all cords connect Prices range from $180 to$300 for these more sophisticated kits depending on the phone andfeatures
Cases and Belt Clips Cases protect a phone from dust and moisture while still allowing youto operate the phone Dust and moisture can seep into your phone andpossibly ruin its inner circuitry Cases are especially helpful if you knowthat you will be submitting your phone to regular abuse because theyabsorb some of the shock or cover the screen to prevent it fromcracking if dropped Some cases cover the entire phone others simplyprotect the screen or keypad Holsters are another kind of case that cliponto your belt Simply slide your phone in and out while the holsterremains fastened securely to your belt clipThese cases usually cost $10to $20 on average
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 72 The Samsung Car Hands-Free Kit
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110 Chapter 7 bull Accessories for Your Wireless Phone
Belt clips provide easy access to your phone when receiving a callMost belt clips also offer swivel features that allow you to access yourphone more easily Holsters also cost between $10 and $20 Figures 73through 75 show different types of carrying cases the more commontypes of belt holsters can be seen in Figures 76 and 77
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 73 The Nokia Full-Phone Case
Figure 74 The Samsung Full-Phone Case
Figure 75 The Nokia Semi-Phone Case
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Accessories for Your Wireless Phone bull Chapter 7 111
Chargers Phones are usually sold with standard AC battery chargers that you canplug into the wall in your home or office Rapid travel chargers cancut charging times in half Charging times vary based on the type ofphone and batteryA typical rapid battery charger can charge alithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery used with a digital phone in two hourscompared to four hours with a standard charger Rapid chargers forthe car plug into the cigarette lighter adapter and can often provide a
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 76 A Nokia Belt Clip
Figure 77 A Samsung Belt Clip
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112 Chapter 7 bull Accessories for Your Wireless Phone
full charge in two hours Phones can often charge and be used forconversation simultaneously although the charging time lengthenswhen the phone is in useThe price range for standard rapid andvehicle chargers is between $15 and $30 Different types of chargerscan be seen in Figures 78 through 710
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 78 A Nokia Car Charger
Figure 79 A Nokia AC Battery Charger
Figure 710 A Nokia Desktop Charger
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Accessories for Your Wireless Phone bull Chapter 7 113
Batteries All wireless phone batteries are rechargeableA rechargeable battery canaccept 200 to 400 recharges before it needs to be replaced Having aspare charged battery ensures that you will always be able to make andreceive callsAccessory batteries range from about $25 for a standard-life battery to $80 for an extended-life lithium-ion battery Batterycapacity is measured in talk time or standby time Digital phones con-sume less power than analog phones because the digital phones havethe ability to use the power they require more economically Extendedlithium-ion batteries offer the best performance usually allowing fivehours talk time or one to two weeks standby in digital mode
The following is a breakdown of the three standard wireless phonebatteries nickel cadmium (NiCad) nickel metal hydride (NiMH) andlithium-ion (Li-Ion)
NiCad This is an older technology and has some technicalproblems Memory effect also known as ledges can reducethe capacity of the battery if it is charged repeatedly withoutbeing fully discharged In addition the battery must be dis-posed of properly because it is an environmental hazard
NiMH A newer technology that does not suffer frommemory effects like the NiCad battery It also holds a chargelonger then the NiCad
Li-Ion A long lasting and light battery that does not sufferfrom memory effects It is however more expensive than theother battery types
Faceplates If yoursquore the type of person who likes to change looks at a momentrsquosnotice then a phone with the ability to change faceplates is the choicefor you Faceplates allow you to feel like you have a new phonewithout having to shell out the cashThere are many different colorsand designs for many models of phones If you want to be blue one dayand have tiger stripes the next you can with certain phones Look tosee if the phone you are interested in has changeable faceplates to besure you can customize your look Faceplates usually cost under $20and come in a variety of colors and textures
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C07qk 111201 211 PM Page 113
SummaryJust as there are many wireless phones from which to choose there areeven more phone accessories to consider buyingThe basic categories ofaccessories will help you determine if you need or want accessoriesSometimes the accessories you want are necessities like a car charger ifyou use your phone while on the road Other times accessories can bejust for fun like a faceplate that has your favorite college logo on itAndwireless phone accessories make great gifts tooYou will get a standardcharger and a battery with your phone although you may get more like ahands-free earpiece If you want added convenience or added personaliza-tion for your phone then add some accessories when you buy your phone
Quick ReferencesHands-Free Kits
Simple hands-free kits include an earpiece and microphoneallowing you to talk on your phone without using yourhandsThese kits start at $20 and come in a variety of styles
Car hands-free kits sometimes require professional installationand include a microphone that typically attaches to a visor aspeaker that is mounted near the dash a cradle that holds thephone and a junction box where all cords connect Prices rangefrom $180 to $300 depending on the phone and features
Cases and Belt Clips
Cases protect a phone from dust and moisture while allowingyou to operate the phone
Belt clips provide easy access to your phone when receiving acall
Prices for cases and belt clips range from $10 to $20
Chargers
Phones are usually sold with standard AC battery chargers
Car chargers are available if you spend time on the road
Rapid travel chargers can cut charge time in half
Charging times vary based on the type of phone and battery
114 Chapter 7 bull Accessories for Your Wireless Phone
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C07qk 111201 211 PM Page 114
Batteries
All wireless phone batteries are rechargeable
A rechargeable battery can accept 200 to 400 recharges beforeit needs to be replaced
Batteries range from about $25 for a standard-life battery to$80 for an extended-life lithium-ion battery
Faceplates
Faceplates allow you to feel like you have a new phonewithout having to shell out the cash
Faceplates are usually under $20 and come in a variety ofcolors designs and textures
Accessories for Your Wireless Phone bull Chapter 7 115
wwwgetconnectedcom
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165_cell_C07qk 111201 211 PM Page 116
Service Plans and Rates
Part III
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165_cell_C08qk 111401 441 PM Page 118
UnderstandingService Plans
Quick References in this chapter
Understanding Basic Plan Structures
Breaking Down Wireless Plans and Fees
The Prepaid Option
Summary
Quick References
119
Chapter 8
165_cell_C08qk 111401 441 PM Page 119
120 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
IntroductionChoosing your wireless phone is only one part of the puzzlemdashtheother piece is the wireless service or rate plan Shopping for a wirelessplan can be an extremely overwhelming experience especially if it isyour first timeThere are so many plans to choose from so manydetails so many ldquogreat offersrdquo to take advantage of Understanding howplans are structured how they are priced and how your usage patternsfit into these plans should help you find the best plan for you
Service plans have gone through some major changes over theyears Originally you would buy a rate plan which would charge youfor simple network access and for every minute you used to talk onyour wireless phoneYou would be charged extra for long distance callsand if you wanted to use your phone while driving across the countryforget it You could use your phone when you were far away fromhome but you needed to carry a huge book with you full of 800 num-bers to call based on where you were and on whose network youwould come up onmdashand then you would be charged incredible ratesper minute to make a callThat was early roamingmdashthankfully it is awhole lot easier now and a whole lot less expensive
As wireless carriers are merging and forming more national net-works the nature of plan structures are also changing and becomingmore affordableThis affordability can be customized depending onhow you use your phone as many service providers now offer differentflavors of wireless rate plans
All-inclusive plans which offer one rate for all calls made orreceived on that specific wireless carrierrsquos network
All-inclusive plans which offer one rate for all calls made orreceived on any wireless carrierrsquos network
Regional and local rate plans with agrave la carte selections forlocal calling minutes
Long distance calling Middle of the day calling Weekend calling
International calling
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Understanding Service Plans bull Chapter 8 121
Basically there is something for everyone which is why you needto understand what this all means and how you will use your phone inorder to select the plan that is perfect for you
Understanding Basic Plan StructuresAfter years of changing plan structures around wireless service providersseem to have agreed for the time being that offering three types of plansmakes the most senseThe three general types of plans are
Local plans Regional plans
National plans available with or without roaming charges
Choosing the right type is key to getting the most for yourmoneyAlthough a local plan may offer you the most minutes perdollar it may not be the best plan for you if you travel frequentlyChoosing the best service plan for you will require you to understandwireless plans as well as to understand how when and where you planto use your phone Refer to Table 81 for a quick comparison of thedifferent types of plans
Local PlansThe service area (see Chapter 9 ldquoWireless Carriers and Service Areasrdquofor more information) for a local plan is usually your metropolitanarea and immediate surrounding areas For example a user with alocal plan in the Boston area would likely be able to make and receivecalls from inside the Boston metropolitan area and some of the sur-rounding areas (some may include areas in Rhode Island NewHampshire and Connecticut) without being charged extra feesWhenusing your phone outside of your service area you will be charged aroaming fee Some wireless providers will charge you a regionalroaming fee and a higher national fee depending on where you areYou should make sure you check out both the service area androaming rates of the plans you are considering Additionally if you aremaking calls to places outside of your calling area you will be chargeda long distance fee
wwwgetconnectedcom
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122 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
wwwgetconnectedcom
Table 81 A Side-by-Side Look at Types of Wireless Phone Plans
Local Regional National National NextelPlans Plans Plansmdash Plansmdash VoiceStream
No Fees With Fees
Coverage Your metropolitan Greater coverage All of Anywhere on Anywhere onarea and some than local plansmdash the US the wireless their networksurrounding usually include carrierrsquos (most major areas most of the network metropolitan
surrounding (most major areas)states (ie metropolitanNortheast and coverage may surroundinginclude all states areas)from Maine down to DC)
Roaming Per-minute Per-minute No roaming Per-minute Your phoneCharges roaming fees fees charged feesmdashyour roaming fees will not work
for any minutes for any included for calls made if you are offused outside of minutes used monthly anywhere that the networkyour local outside of minutes is not on thearea your region can be used wireless carrierrsquos
anywhere network if you you can can get a signal get service your phone will
work on
Long Per-minute fees Free long Free long Free long Depends onDistance for any long distance for distance for distance if the the planmdash
distance call no calls made from calls made call is made some plansmatter where you within your from from the include freeplace the call coverage area anywhere network long distance(some wireless but will have per-minute and some docarriers are now per-minute fees fees for calls notoffering pro- for calls made made off themotions for free from outside networklong distance your coveragefor calls made areafrom within your coverage area)
Who If you plan to If you travel These are the Good value if Nextel appeals Should use your phone mostly regionally most expen- you plan to to businessUse for local calling and plan to sive plans use your phone users becauseIt primarily around use your phone when looking mostly in major of their Direct
town these are when you travel at the price metropolitan Connectgreat plans and these are appro- per included and surround- Minutes include the most priate for you minute but ing areas which allowsminutes per dollar per minute they if you plan you to use
are more to use your your phone asexpensive than phone all over a walkie-talkielocal plans but the country on which is veryit may be a consistent inexpensiveworth it basis this will per-minute
end up being VoiceStream your best has great option plans with
any-time min-utes for theirnetwork
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Understanding Service Plans bull Chapter 8 123
wwwgetconnectedcom
REALLY LOCAL WIRELESS
Cricket Communications is a unique wireless provider as they pro-vide only local service (currently in some areas of AZ AR CO GAID KS NM NC OK PA TN UT and WA) For around $30 Cricketgives you unlimited local calling Long distance charges are addi-tional per-minute fees Other wireless carriers are starting to offerservices similar to Cricketrsquos such as NorthCoast PCS in Clevelandso this idea is catching on and may make sense if you use yourphone only in your local area Another use for these types of wire-less services are for use as a second phone line in your homeinstead of adding another home phone number
Regional PlansRegional plans are the next level of service plansThey will be slightlymore expensive per minute than a local plan but it may be wellworth it for youThe service areas for these plans include most ofyour region for example most of the Northeastern states orSoutheastern states If you travel and plan to use your phone in thestates surrounding yours these plans are probably appropriate for youYou will not be charged any roaming fees within your service areaand you will not be charged long distance fees for making long dis-tance calls from within your service areaYou will be charged bothroaming and long distance fees (when applicable) for calls made fromoutside of your service area
National Plans without Roaming ChargesNational plans (such as ATampTrsquos Digital One Rate plans CingularrsquosNation rate plans or Verizonrsquos SingleRate plans) are examples of rateplans with no additional roaming charge anywhere you make or receivecallsThese plans allow you to use your phone anywhere to call any-where without being charged roaming or long distance fees Eventhough these plans are the most expensive plans per minute they maybe well worth your money if you travel extensively or make a consider-able number of long distance calls per month
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124 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
National Plans with Roaming ChargesSome wireless carriers offer national plans with no roaming charges orlong distance fees when you are anywhere in the United States on theirnetwork (for example Sprint PCS)This is different from the othernational rate plans in that if you go outside of that wireless carrierrsquos net-work into another network where you can make calls you will becharged roaming feesThis means that if you plan to use your phonemostly in metropolitan areas where the wireless carrierrsquos network isestablished you will not be charged any additional fees If you plan touse your phone outside of their coverage areas you will be chargedroaming feesThese national plans can be an excellent value if you willbe traveling across the country on the wireless carrierrsquos network Just besure to check the coverage for the cities to which you plan on traveling
NEXTEL AND VOICESTREAM NATIONAL PLANS
Nextel and VoiceStream are a little bit different as well They likeSprint have built their network in most major metropolitan areasTheir current phones do not have the ability to work on an analognetwork or other digital technology so if you go off of their net-work you cannot make or receive calls
Breaking Down Wireless Plans and FeesEvery wireless plan has some basics associated with it that you shouldunderstand Each plan has a monthly fee a number of included min-utes and additional fees when you use your phone above what isincluded in your monthly plan For example a typical wireless phoneplan (with local coverage) has a monthly fee of about $30 to $40 andmay include 400 local minutesYou would be charged additional fees(say $025 per minute) if you use more than your allotted monthlyminutes if you make any long distance calls (another $025 perminute) or if you make any calls from outside of your coverage area(roaming fees of maybe $060 per minute) So that $30 to $40 plan canend up costing you a great deal more if you donrsquot understand your planand what it includes (see Table 82)
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Understanding Service Plans bull Chapter 8 125
wwwgetconnectedcom
Table 82 A Generic Monthly Bill for Wireless Service
ABC Wireless Company
123 Main StWireless City USA 12345 Questions Call us at 800-555-1122
BILL DATE 8212001PERIOD 072101 thru 082001ACCOUNT 22222222PHONE 123-456-7899
DETAIL OF ACCOUNT SUMMARY
PAYMENTS723 5499Total Payments 5499cr
DETAIL OF CURRENT CHARGES
PlanmdashRegional Plan $4999Monthly Fee $4999450 minutesPeak $035 Off-peak $035
Monthly Service ChargesMonthly Service - 072101 thru 082001 4999
Total Monthly Service Charges 4999
HOME USAGE CHARGESMinutes Rate
Included in Plan - Peak 193 (x) 000 000Included in Plan - Off-Peak 257 (x) 000 000Billed Peak 4 (x) 035 140Billed Off-peak 4 (x) 035 140Total Air Charges 458 280Directory Assistance Charges 129Total Home Usage Charges 409
ROAMING CHARGES (calls placed outside the home service area)Roaming Usage Charges 504Roaming Surcharges 420Total Roaming Charges 924
OTHER CHARGES AND CREDITS
Federal Universal Service 046Total Other Charges and Credits 046
TAXESFederal 237State 395Total Taxes 632
TOTAL CURRENT CHARGES 7010
Previous pay-ments on youraccount
A summary ofyour currentplan
Your basicmonthly fee
A breakdown ofthe minutes thatyou used If youused more min-utes than areincluded in yourplan you willsee that here
Roaming feesmdashyou will oftenbe charged perminute in addi-tion to anoverall sur-charge forroaming
Federal charges
Taxes
Grand Total
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126 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
wwwgetconnectedcom
Here are the things to look at when selecting your rate plan
Included Minutes Every plan has a number of minutes thatyou are allotted per month Usually the greater the number ofminutes included the greater the monthly fee Some plansbreak their included minutes down further to let you knowwhen you can use them (ie anytime versus off-peak orweekend minutes) Make sure you understand how these timeperiods are broken down
Monthly Fee This is the basic cost for one month of service Additional Per Minute Fee You will be charged a per-
minute fee after you have used all of your included minutesThese fees can be as much as $045 a minute so they can addup quickly Some service providers have ways you can checkto see how many minutes you have remaining on youraccount for the month but others do not
Roaming Fees These depend on the coverage of the planyou choose but you will be charged for using your phoneoutside of your service areaYou will be charged a per-minutefee and possibly a monthly roamer fee (usually around $3)when you use your phone while roaming
Long Distance Fees Again depending on your plan youwill be charged a per-minute fee for making calls to numbersoutside of your service region
ALWAYS UNDERESTIMATEWireless providers will often allow you to upgrade your plan if youconsistently use more minutes than your monthly allowance Youmay be required to renew your contract when you do this but itwill probably be worth your while However they will not usuallyallow you to downgrade your plan to a cheaper one If you are notsure which plan to go with always go with the less expensive plan
10 SECONDS = 1 MINUTEMost service providers have one-minute billing increments Thismeans that on your bill a ten second call counts as one minute
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Understanding Service Plans bull Chapter 8 127
wwwgetconnectedcom
YOUrsquoRE NOT STUCK
Yoursquore not stuck with the long distance service (and rates) thatyour wireless provider offers Ask the wireless sales representativeor customer service agent for other wireless long distance carriersto see if you can save some money Also there are companies thatare similar to ldquodial-aroundrdquo or 10-10 services from your homephone These companies can help cut your wireless long distancebill and can help you make affordable international calls
Additional Plan Features and FeesThere are many of other plan features that may be included in your ser-vice plan or you may choose to add onto your service plan Each ser-vice provider offers a different set of features and will include differentfeatures with their plansThe following includes a fairly standard list offeatures to consider with your plan
Activation Fee Most service providers will charge you aone-time fee when you set up your service usually along thelines of $25 to $50
Cancellation Fee Most wireless providers will also chargeyou if you want to end your service before the end of yourcontractThis can be as much as $150 to $250 so make sureyou know what it is before you cancel
Taxes Depending on what state you live in you will have toadd a couple dollars of taxes onto your monthly bill as well asa universal service fee
Voice Mail Most service providers include some sort ofvoice mail service in their plans Enhanced voice mail servicemay cost you extra howeverAnd consumers should keep inmind that some service providers deduct minutes from yourincluded minutes when you check your voice mail from yourphone
Caller ID The ability to see the number of the personcalling without answering the phone Being able to screenyour calls can be a time and money saver
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128 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
Call Waiting The ability to receive incoming calls while onthe phone
Call Forwarding The ability to send incoming calls toanother number Even though the ldquoabilityrdquo to do this is ofteninclude in your plan you may be charged for the airtimewhen using it or pay an additional per minute fee
Three-Way Calling The ability to speak with two partiessimultaneously
Wireless Internet Access The ability to access Internet-based messages news and information from your phone
Text Messaging The ability to receive textual messages onyour phonersquos screen
Directory Assistance Per-Call Fee Charging $099 percall to call directory assistance is typical
Mobile-to-Mobile Calling Some service providers offerspecial rates for placing calls to other mobile customers ontheir network
Handset Insurance Most service providers offer you theoption to pay a monthly fee for insurance that will allow youto replace your handset for free if it is lost or stolen
International or Certain Country Calling Most wirelesscarriers will restrict your calls to destinations in the UnitedStates Some are adding the ability to call Canada or Mexicofor a low monthly fee plus your minutes of use
CONSERVE YOUR MINUTES
To conserve your minutes you may want to check your voice mailfrom a landline Even though voice mail may be included in yourplan the airtime will probably be deducted from your monthlyminutes
The Prepaid OptionIf you truly need a phone only for emergency uses (or very limiteduse) it may be a good idea to consider prepaid plans (see Table 83)
wwwgetconnectedcom
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With prepaid plans you donrsquot have a monthly fee or blocks ofmonthly minutes Instead you purchase a package of minutes to use atyour convenienceWhen you run out of minutes you purchase moreOne downfall of prepaid plans is that you will end up paying moreper-minute in lieu of the monthly fee you would be paying with astandard plan For most wireless providers the more minutes you pur-chase at once the lower the ldquoper-minuterdquo cost will be (ie a $25 refillcard may work out to about $035min while a $100 card may workout to about $025minute) Additionally the minutes that you pur-chase wonrsquot last forever Most often they will expire in two to threemonths
Table 83 A Sample of Service Providers and Their Prepaid Plans
Service Name of Provider Prepaid Service Summary of Service
ATampT Wireless Free2Go WirelessSM Offers both local and national coverageMinutes sold in $25 $50 $100 or $200denominationsPer-minute rates range from $015 to$035 per minute for the local plan(depending on denomination purchased)Per-minute rates range from $025 to$065 per minute for national plan(depending on denomination purchased)
Cingular Cingular Local coverage (no long distance chargesWireless Wireless for calls made from within home coverage
Prepaid to US Mexico or Canada)Roaming is $195 per minuteMinutes sold in $10 $20 $30 $40 $50and $100 denominationsPer-minute rates range from $030 to$050 per minute depending on denomina-tion purchased
Verizon [FREEUP] Prepay National coverage (on the Verizon WirelessWireless Service [FREEUP] Network)
Roaming is $099 per minute off of thenetworkMinutes sold in $30 $50 $75 $150denominationsWeekday per-minute rates range from$025 to $035 per minute (depending ondenomination purchased)Night and weekend per-minute rates are$010 per minute
wwwgetconnectedcom
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130 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
FOR THE CREDIT-CHALLENGED
All wireless service providers will run a credit check on you whenyou order their service Depending on what their criteria is andwhat your credit history is you may be required to have someonecosign your account you may have to give them a deposit or youmay be denied service Prepaid plans however do not require acredit check so this may be a good option for you
wwwgetconnectedcom
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SummaryWireless service providers generally offer three types of service planswith three types of coverage local regional and nationalWithin eachof those types service providers offer plans with different numbers ofincluded minutes (the more minutes the higher the monthly fee) Someplans will include basic plan features Beyond that you will be chargedadditional fees for extra features for using more minutes than are inyour plan or for roaming or long distance charges
Quick References
Understanding Basic Plan Structures
Local Plans You can use your included monthly minutes inyour local area and will be charged roaming and long distancefees outside of that
Regional Plans Your coverage area is larger than that oflocal plans (usually most of your surrounding states)You willbe charged for roaming outside of your region
National Plans Your coverage area is the whole UnitedStatesYou will not be charged any roaming or long distancefees regardless of where you are for some national plans andyou will pay extra only when you go outside of the wirelesscarrierrsquos network for other national plans
Breaking Down Wireless Plans and Fees
All plans have a basic monthly fee that includes a number ofallotted minutes every monthYou will be charged for usingmore minutes than are included in your plan
You will be charged roaming fees for making calls while out-side of your coverage area
You will be charged long distance fees for making calls toareas outside of your coverage area
Your plan will include some basic features like voice mail andcaller IDYou may be charged monthly for other features
Understanding Service Plans bull Chapter 8 131
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Understanding Service Plans bull Chapter 8 131
165_cell_C08qk 111401 441 PM Page 131
The Prepaid Option
Prepaid plans are a good idea if you plan to use your phoneonly in emergencies or on a very limited basis
Prepaid plans allow you to pay as you go so when you runout of minutes you buy more
Prepaid plans cost more per-minute than standard monthlyplans
132 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
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132 Chapter 8 bull Understanding Service Plans
165_cell_C08qk 111401 441 PM Page 132
Service Providersand Service Areas
Quick References in this chapter
What Services Are Available to You
Service Areas
Quality of Service
Wireless Carrier Directory
Summary
Quick References
133
Chapter 9
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134 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
IntroductionSo now you understand what wireless service plans are all about howthe plans are structured and how you will be billed (for more informa-tion see Chapter 8ldquoUnderstanding Service Plansrdquo) Finding out whatservice providers offer service in your area what kinds of services theyoffer and which one has the best coverage is a tough task Each serviceprovider in your area will offer slightly different kinds of service Itrsquosimportant to do your research to figure out which one will best meetyour needs
What Services Are Available to YouIn most major cities in this country you will find that you have any-where between three and eight wireless providers from which tochoose Each of the service providers available in your area received(bought) licenses from the FCC to offer wireless service in your areaand then built the wireless network from the ground up Some of thewireless carriers have been around for 20 years and some have beenaround only for four or five yearsAlthough all networks are designedto maximize the quality of each call made by the wireless customerssome of the areas that supposedly are covered by the wireless carrierhave less than complete coverageThere are many factors that deter-mine if the coverage area will be satisfactory or unsatisfactorymdashthetopography of the area the number of users that will be using the net-work and the distance that the users are away from the closest tower
Because each wireless carrier has built their own network you willnever find two wireless networks with the same voice quality in thesame placeThe quality of service varies from service provider to serviceproviderThe quality of service from one provider will also vary fromcity to city as wireless carriers have developed their networks morecompletely in some areas more than others It is important that youresearch the quality of service of the service provider that you are con-sidering since you probably will be committing yourself to the servicefor a year or so
Wireless Service ProvidersThere are a multitude of wireless service providers out theremdashactuallybetween 350 and 400 licensed wireless carriers Some service providers
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 135
you will recognize immediately some service providers you may neverhave heard of Some offer national service some regional and someoffer only local service in just a few marketsTable 91 lists some of thetop service providers and what kind of coverage they offer with theirplansThis table also shows what kinds of rate plans are available fromthe wireless carriersA more complete service carrier directory can beseen later in this chapter
Table 91 Service Providers and the Types of Rate Plans They Offer
Service Provider National Regional Local Rate Rate Rate Plans Plans Plans
Alltel Yes Yes Yes
ATampT Wireless Yes Yes Yes
Cingular Wireless Yes Yes Yes
Cricket Communications No No Yes
Nextel Yes No Yes
Sprint PCS Yes No No
Triton PCSSunCom Yes Yes Yes
US Cellular Yes Yes Yes
Verizon Yes Yes Yes
VoiceStream Yes Yes Yes
These carriers offer national rate plans that use networks through agreements with other carriersin many major metropolitan areas
These carriers are considered national carriers with their own networks in the majority of thetop metropolitan areas in the United States
Finding Service Providers in Your AreaSimply paying attention to advertising is an easy way to figure out whooffers wireless service in your areaWersquore sure that you have noticedhow inundated you are with ads for promotions and special offers onwireless service in your areaTo find out if a specific service provideroffers service in your area call them directly or visit their Web siteYoucan also visit wwwgetconnectedcom to find this information Hereyou can enter your ZIP code and see all of the service providers andplans that are available your area
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136 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Service Areas The FCC defined the coverage areas and how they are broken downfrom city to city when it sold licenses to the service providers Eachmetropolitan and rural area of the United States was mapped out andgiven a number Each wireless carrier knows within which areas itcan sell service and where they cannotThe networks that the wire-less carriers have built have been based on where they are licensed tosell service and on their ability to cover those areas with their wire-less signal
You are probably used to seeing service areas represented by cov-erage maps which show you what areas are covered by your serviceplan and what areas are roaming areas (for more information onroaming see Chapter 10 ldquoTravelingYour Domestic and InternationalRoaming Optionsrdquo)These coverage maps typically show areas wherethe wireless carrier offers service and areas where they will offer ser-vice in the future Although it is great that the service providers areexpanding their service areas it will not help you if you live or workin one of these future areas Also know that some maps represent theareas where the wireless carrier allows you to use your phonewithout getting charged roaming fees but other maps representwhere the service provider has built its networkThe differencebetween these two types of rate plans are often referred to as ratemaps versus coverage maps
Local CoverageFigure 91 shows an example of a coverage map that represents the ser-vice area for an ATampT Wireless local calling plan in Boston MA
In this example the shaded area from Washington DC to Mainerepresents the home coverage area for the Boston service areaThis isthe area where your included monthly minutes can be used Outside ofthis area you would be charged roaming fees In this case there is onlyone per-minute roaming rate which would be charged anywhere onthe map that is outside of the shaded states Some service providers willcharge you different roaming rates when you are outside of your homeservice area but still in your general region than they will if you areroaming outside the regionYou will also notice that there are someareas on this map where there is no wireless service at all shaded in
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 137
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 91 Sample Coverage Map Depicting the ATampT Wireless LocalCalling Plan for Boston MA
This map is a general representation of coverage Coverage areas shown are approximate Actualcoverage depends on system availability and capacity system repairs and modifications customersequipment terrain signal strength weather conditions and other conditions
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138 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 92 Sample Coverage Map Depicting the ATampT Wireless NortheastRegional Calling Plan
This map is a general representation of coverage Coverage areas shown are approximate Actualcoverage depends on system availability and capacity system repairs and modifications customersequipment terrain signal strength weather conditions and other conditions
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 139
dark gray (for example in northwestern Maine)These are areas wherethere is no wireless system built that will work with the technology ofATampT Wireless phones
Regional CoverageFigure 92 shows an example of a coverage map for a regional plan forthe northeastern United States from ATampT Wireless
Notice the differences between the shaded area of this map andthat of the local planThe shaded area is still the home coverage areabut this area is much larger extending from North Carolina to MaineAnd again areas outside of the shaded area would be charged roamingfees with the darkest gray areas not offering any service
National CoverageSome service providers offer national coverageThis means that theyhave built their networks across a good part of the country and offerservice in most major metropolitan areas or they have agreements withother service providers in areas where they have not built their net-work Over the past year or so there has been a trend among wirelessservice providers to merge and become larger national providersTheseservice providers are able to offer wireless customers all-inclusivesingle-rate plansThe Yankee Group one of the leading telecommunica-tions industry analyst companies estimates that national serviceproviders account for about 75 percent of all wireless subscribers in theUnited States Figures 93 through Figure 96 represent some of thewireless service providers who have a national network and offernational coverage service plans
NOTE
Verizonrsquos map (which can be seen on page 140) is not a map ofwhere your wireless phone will work but rather a map to showwhere your wireless phone will be charged the rates you signed upfor under their Single Rate plans There are still areas of thecountry where you will not be able to make or receive calls
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140 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Quality of ServiceAny wireless phone user will tell you that they do not always have per-fect service One of the trade-offs between being able to use yourphone while driving is that the science of wireless is not perfectEveryone occasionally must deal with dropped calls dead spots in cov-erage and weak signals But if you do your research to find out whichof the service providers in your area have the best service you can min-imize these annoyances
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 93 ATampT Wireless National Network
This map is a general representation of coverage Coverage areas shown are approximate Actualcoverage depends on system availability and capacity system repairs and modifications customersequipment terrain signal strength weather conditions and other conditions
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 141
Why Is Service Quality InconsistentYour service quality may vary from time to time based on a number offactors including but not limited to the weather your distance from atower and large obstacles (such as buildings) which cause service inter-ference If you travel extensively you may also find that call qualityvaries from city to city as service providers are still expanding their net-works and they have done so at different rates in different citiesYou
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 94 Sprint PCS National Network
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142 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
may notice that on your drive to work for example that your recep-tion gets fuzzy in the same place everydayThis may be because as youare driving you are driving away from one service tower and into theservice of another towerThe area where you are ldquohanded off rdquo fromone tower to the next may not have very strong service Or you maynotice areas in large buildings where you cannot get service (eg theelevator basement or even areas behind some hills and mountains)Thesignal cannot penetrate through the thick walls and sometimes hastrouble reaching phones in the ldquoshadowrdquo of a hill or mountain
Who Has the Best ServiceThis is a tricky question because the answer is different in every cityAnd the answer may even be different depending on where you live or
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 95 Verizon Wireless National Rate Map Representing Where TheirNational Rates Are in Effect
Verizon Wireless is a trademark of Verizon Trademark Services LLC SingleRate is a service mark ofCellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless
These rate maps show where rates apply and are NOT depictions of actual service availability orwireless coverage The mapped territory contains areas with no service Wireless service is subjectto network and transmission limitations including cell site unavailability particularly in remoteareas Alaska has limited service Customer equipment weather topography and other environ-mental considerations associated with radio technology also affects service
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 143
around a cityThe best way to find out who has the best service is toask friends and neighbors who use their phones in the same places youplan to use yours Even though one service provider is known forhaving great service in your city they may not have the best service inyour immediate area or where you need to use your phone (ie if youcanrsquot get service in your house or on your drive to work you mayhave a slightly different opinion of their service) Keep in mind thatyou will not find a service provider that has perfectly complete cov-erage and that all service providers are working to expand andimprove their networks
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 96 Cingular Wireless Service National Coverage Map
Where to find Cingular Wireless nowWhere to find Cingular Wireless in the future
Current coverage area depicted in graphical representation shows approximate licensed coveragearea of Cingular Wireless Actual coverage may vary due to terrain weather signal strength cus-tomer equipment and other factors Clarity and reception may be diminished by obstruction suchas buildings and foliage No guarantee of coverage is available
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144 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Wireless Carrier Directory This section includes a sampling of the major wireless carriers in theUnited StatesWireless carriers are presented by numbers of subscribersand percentage of market share
NOTE
The data in this section came from each of the service providerrsquosQ2 2001 financial press releases Web sites and directly from thewireless carrier Market share percentage is based on number ofsubscribers compared to all subscribers in the United States at theend of Q2 2001
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 145
Verizon Wireless 28000000 subscribers 26 market share
Web site httpverizonwirelesscom
Figure 97 depicts the Verizon Wireless National Rate Map (repre-sents where their national rates are in effect)
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 97 The Verizon Wireless National Rate Map
Verizon Wireless is a trademark of Verizon Trademark Services LLC SingleRate is a service mark ofCellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless
These rate maps show where rates apply and are NOT depictions of actual service availability orwireless coverage The mapped territory contains areas with no service Wireless service is subjectto network and transmission limitations including cell site unavailability particularly in remoteareas Alaska has limited service Customer equipment weather topography and other environ-mental considerations associated with radio technology also affects service
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146 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Cingular Wireless 21200000 subscribers 19 market share
Web site wwwcingularcom
Figure 98 illustrates the coverage area for Cingular Wireless Service
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 98 Cingular Wireless Coverage Map
Where to find Cingular Wireless nowWhere to find Cingular Wireless in the future
Current coverage area depicted in graphical representation shows approximate licensed coveragearea of Cingular Wireless Actual coverage may vary due to terrain weather signal strength cus-tomer equipment and other factors Clarity and reception may be diminished by obstruction suchas buildings and foliage No guarantee of coverage is available
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 147
ATampT Wireless 16400000 subscribers 15 market share
Web site wwwattwscom
Figure 99 shows the coverage areas for the ATampT Wireless nationalnetwork
Figure 99 The ATampT Wireless National Network
This map is a general representation of coverage Coverage areas shown are approximate Actualcoverage depends on system availability and capacity system repairs and modifications customersequipment terrain signal strength weather conditions and other conditions
wwwgetconnectedcom
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148 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Sprint PCS 12823000 subscribers 12 market share
Web site wwwsprintpcscom
Figure 910 shows the completely digital Sprint PCS NationalNetwork
Figure 910 The Sprint PCS National Network
This map is a general representation of coverage Coverage areas shown are approximate Actualcoverage depends on system availability and capacity system repairs and modifications customerrsquosequipment terrain signal strength weather conditions and other conditions
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 149
Nextel 7680000 subscribers 7 market share
Web site wwwnextelcom
Figure 911 is an approximation of the national coverage offered byNextel
Figure 911 Nextelrsquos Nationwide Coverage
The coverage area shown on the Nextel Nationwide Coverage map is an approximation Actualcoverage may vary
wwwgetconnectedcom
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150 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Alltel 7040000 subscribers 6 market share
Web site wwwalltelcom
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 151
VoiceStreamreg
5280000 subscribers 5 market share
Web site wwwvoicestreamcom
The VoiceStream Wireless National Network map can be seen inFigure 912
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 912 VOICESTREAMreg Wireless National Network
VOICESTREAMreg is a registered trademark of VoiceStream Wireless Corporation its subsidiariesandor affiliates
This map is a general representation of coverage Coverage areas shown are approximate Actualcoverage depends on system availability and capacity system repairs and modifications cus-tomerrsquos equipment terrain signal strength weather conditions and other conditions
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152 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
US Cellular 3294000 subscribers 3 market share
Web site wwwuscccom
The national US Cellular Network can be seen in Figure 913
NOTE
SpanAmerica is US Cellularrsquos national rate plan name
Figure 913 US Cellular National Network
US Cellular Licensed Markets
SpanAmerica National Coverage
Map depicts an approximation of coverage area Actual coverage may vary
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 153
Qwest 1000000 subscribers Less than 1 market share
Web site wwwqwestwirelesscom
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154 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Triton PCS 560652 subscribers Less than 1 market share (based on the number of total US
subscribers) Web site wwwsuncomcom
NOTE
Triton PCS is an affiliate of ATampT Wireless and sells service underthe brand name of SunCom
The Triton PCS (aka SunComATampT) network is illustrated inFigure 914
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure 914 Triton PCS National Coverage Map
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Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 155
Western Wireless 1210000 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwwesternwirelesscom
Dobson Communication Corp 1068430 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwdobsonnet
Telecorp 823000 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwsuncom1com
Century Telephone 780000 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwcenturytelcom
Centennial Cellular 761000 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwcentennialcomcom
Rural Cellular Corporation 660000 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwrccwirelesscom
wwwgetconnectedcom
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156 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
Cricket 472000 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwcricketcommunicationscom
Cincinnati Bell Wireless 415000 subscribers Less than 1 market share Web site wwwcbwirelesscom
wwwgetconnectedcom
165_cell_C09qk 111401 618 PM Page 156
SummaryThere are most likely a handful of service providers that offer wirelessservice in your area Each will offer a variety of different service plansfrom which to choose with different types of coverage and serviceplans It is important to understand the coverage area on which yourservice plan is based to make sure that you are not charged more thanyou are expecting when you use your phoneThe quality of service youwill get when using your wireless phone will also vary from serviceprovider to service provider from city to city and from place to placewithin a cityYour best resource in finding good coverage is to talk topeople who use the service in those areas so do your homework beforesigning up with a service provider
Quick ReferenceWhat Services Are Available to You
There are between three and eight service providers whooffer service in most major metropolitan areas
Quality of service will vary from service provider to serviceprovider and from city to city
Service providers offer different kinds of coverage and dif-ferent kinds of service plans
Service Areas
Wireless plans are based on service areas that are defined bythe FCC who licensed the rights to the wireless carriers
Service areas are represented by coverage maps showing theareas that the wireless carriers have built their networks tocover with their signal
Check out coverage maps closely to make sure you under-stand your service area and also understand that some wire-less carriers present their maps as rate maps showing whereyou can expect to pay their rates if you have coverage tomake a call
Service Providers and Service Areas bull Chapter 9 157
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165_cell_C09qk 111401 618 PM Page 157
Quality of Service
Factors such as weather your distance from a tower and largeobstacles (such as buildings) can cause your service quality tovary
Quality will also change as you get ldquohanded off rdquo between ser-vice towers
All service providers have dead spots in their coverage orareas where their signal doesnrsquot reachTalk to friends andneighbors to make sure you will have coverage where youwill need it
158 Chapter 9 bull Service Providers and Service Areas
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Traveling YourDomestic andInternationalRoaming Options
Quick References in this chapter
What Is Roaming
Domestic Roaming Options
International Roaming Options
Guide to International Wireless Carriers
Summary
Quick References
159
Chapter 10
165_cell_C10qk 111201 218 PM Page 159
160 Chapter 10 bull Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options
IntroductionDo you travel a lot If you travel outside of the home calling area orzone of your local service provider network you can incur roamingcharges which means a surcharge will be applied for all calls you eithermake or receive from your wireless phoneThe charges will vary fromwireless carrier to wireless carrier but are explained in the details of allservice plans
When you travel in the United States you can make calls fromalmost anywheremdashthe only question is if you will be charged extra forthe call or if it is covered in your rate plan National rate plans usuallyinclude roaming charges so you donrsquot have to pay any extra for callingfrom far away from your home Regional calling plans usually includeyour regionmdashthe Northeast the Northwest and so on as defined byyour service provider and calls from those areas are usually at no extracost Local calling plans however tend to allow calls only from yourimmediate local areamdashyour city or surrounding townsmdashand when youtravel a few states away or to the other side of the country you willhave to pay extra per minute to make and receive wireless calls
If you try to use your phone outside of the United States thechances are that it probably will not workThere are a few exceptionsto that rule based on three factors
The country that you are in The service provider that you have
The type of phone that you use
The types of services and wireless phones you can use outside ofthe United States is presented later in the chapter
What Is RoamingWhen you use your phone outside of your local calling area (as defined byyour service provider) you are roaming on another wireless providerrsquos net-workAirtime minutes used when roaming are generally not part of yourbasic calling plan Check your service providerrsquos plan details to determinewhen you are roaming and how you are charged for these calls (seeChapters 8 and 9 for more on service providers and service areas)
On the display screen of most digital phones a symbol will indicatewhen you are roamingThe symbol will vary from phone to phone but
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Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options bull Chapter 10 161
typically will be ROAM Extended Area R or some other indicatorthat is different than when you are in your home area
Roaming was one of the most challenging issues the cellular phoneindustry faced in the early daysThe goal was simple a phone that couldbe used anywhere in the United States or the world where a compatiblenetwork is availableThe difficult part is getting various systems to com-municate and pass routing and billing information to each other
When the initial cellular carriers built their networks they enabledwireless phones from other networks to operate on their network onlyafter dialing a special roamer port toll-free number prior to dialing thephone number you wanted to call So in order to use your Dallas-basedphone in San Francisco you would need to look up the roamernumber dial it listen for another dial tone and then dial the complete11-digit phone number for whom you wanted to callAnd your billmay not reflect the charges for your call for a couple monthsThe chal-lenge of making the ability to roam seamless and keep the billingsimple did not happen until years after the cellular carriers launchedtheir serviceThe fees associated with roaming included a high daily ormonthly fee and a high per-minute fee which varied by location
Domestic Roaming OptionsVirtually every service provider offers domestic roaming options regard-less of which service plan you select (Go to wwwGetConnectedcomfor a comprehensive listing of plans available in your area) Howeverthere are always exceptions to the rule For example Cricket does notoffer roaming service Once you are outside of their coverage area thereis no serviceAnother example is Nextel who offers service on theirnetwork across the United States and around the world however youcannot use their phones where they do not have coverageThis has todo with the type of network their phones work onmdashthe newer digitalnetworks are not as widely available as analog networks which are thedefault networks for many who travel outside their areasThis is a goodthing to keep in mind as you research your roaming options
When you are using your phone outside of your home area youwill most likely not even notice that you are roaming unless you see aroaming symbol on your phone as mentioned previouslyThe soundquality usually remains the same as when you are using your phonefrom your local calling area In some isolated areas in the country your
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162 Chapter 10 bull Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options
wireless carrier may not have an agreement with whoever the local car-rier is to allow seamless roaming calls and you may end up being con-nected to a roaming call serviceThese services usually start off with amessage like ldquoThank you for calling Wireless ExpressWe are happy toplace your wireless call for $195 per minute Please enter your creditcard number nowrdquoAt this point you have to decide if this call is reallyimportant enough to pay $195 per minute for Sometimes it is worththe extra per-minute fee especially in emergency situations when youreally need to get a call through
As with any other calling feature prices and options for domesticroaming vary by where you live and which service provider youchoose If you are the type of person that travels within the UnitedStates quite often you should look for a plan that offers the following
Coverage with no roaming costs in the cities and towns fromwhich you will be making your calls
Low roaming costs per minute with roaming coverage in allthe areas to which you will travel
A service that will work when outside your home area at alltimes Some new wireless services offer unlimited local callingfor a flat fee per month but do not offer the ability to roamoutside of your local area
The following sections offer some additional details for the top sellingservice providers and some of their roaming options to give you an idea ofwhat they offer Refer to Chapter 9ldquoService Providers and Service Areasrdquofor a listing of service providers and their domestic coverage maps
ATampT Wireless ATampT Digital One Rate PlansThese plans are great for frequent travelers
No roaming feesmdashyou can be on anywhere in the UnitedStates where digital service is available
There are no additional domestic long distance charges forcalls made to anywhere in the United States from anywhere inthe United States
A digital multi-network phone is required
Total minutes included vary from 450 to 2000 minutes permonth
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options bull Chapter 10 163
Refer to Chapter 9 for more information on wireless service plansor visit the ATampT Digital Wireless Web site at wwwattwscom
Sprint PCS Real Nationwide Long DistanceSprint PCS plans have consistently added more customers per quarterthan any wireless carrier in the United StatesThey are great forsomeone that travels around the country and needs coverage in majormetropolitan cities and their surrounding towns Sprint PCS currentlycovers over 300 metropolitan areas across the United States Featuresinclude the following
Sprint PCS plans work in any Sprint PCS coverage areaacross the countryThis means on any plan you can call toanywhere in the United States from your mobile phone andyou can call from any city in the United States that SprintPCS has covered
Nationwide long distance is included when calling from theSprint PCS network
Roaming is not included when off of the Sprint PCS net-work but no roaming fees apply when you are on their net-work anywhere in the United States
Roaming is $039 per minute outside Sprintrsquos network withinyour home area and $069 per minute outside Sprintrsquos net-work outside of your home area
Included minutes vary from 40 to 3000 minutes per month
Refer to Chapter 9 for more information on Wireless Service Plansor visit the Sprint PCS Web site at wwwsprintpcscom
Verizon Wireless National SingleRateSM
Verizon offers national plans (SingleRate) that are very similar in struc-ture to the ATampT Digital One Rate plans
Verizon offers the largest coverage area in the United Statesand is the largest wireless carrier with the most customersYoucan call from anywhere there is digital or analog service how-ever a tri-mode phone is required in order to get full servicewith the Verizon Wireless national plans
wwwgetconnectedcom
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164 Chapter 10 bull Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options
Nationwide long distance is includedmdashcall to anywhere inthe United States from anywhere in the United States
Nationwide roaming is includedmdashwith a tri-mode phonecustomers can call from anywhere in the United States thatanalog or digital service is available
Included minutes vary from 150 to 3000 minutes per month
Refer to Chapter 9 for more information on Wireless Service Plansor visit the Web site at wwwverizonwirelesscom
International Roaming Options Now that you know what to look for in order to make calls across theUnited States what about taking your wireless phone outside of theUS This brings us to international roaming which is quite bit morecomplicated than domestic roaming
The challenge that was overcome to allow seamless roamingacross the United States was simple in comparison to the ability totake your phone with you around the worldThe United States wire-less carriers all operate on the same frequencies as licensed by theFCCmdasheither the cellular or 800 MHz frequencies or the PCS or1900 MHz frequenciesmdashbut they do not operate using the same dig-ital technologies So where your phone will work across the countryis dependent on the network that your phone usesmdashCDMA GSMor TDMA In many areas of the world the type of network is not theproblem since the GSM standard is the primary technology for deliv-ering cellular service to people in foreign countries However theGSM frequency used for wireless phones internationally differs fromthe frequencies on which GSM operates within the United StatesThe European frequency is at 900 MHz but the US GSM fre-quency is at 1900 MHz Even GSM carriers in the United States likeVoiceStream have trouble operating in Europe unless the customerbuys a phone that works on both the US frequency and theEuropean frequencyThe customer will be able to use that phoneonly in specific parts of the world For instance South Americaworks primarily on TDMA and many other areas use CDMA (seeldquoGuide to International Carriersrdquo later in this chapter)
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Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options bull Chapter 10 165
The basics of using your wireless phone around the world are thefollowing
The phone must operate on the network where you plan ontraveling
Expect to be charged extra for calls made and received whileabroad
Some international offers require a different phone than theone you use in the United States which you typically lease
When you use your phone in other countries your level ofservice may not be what you have come to expect in theUnited States with instant connections and simple dialingyou may need to dial additional numbers and call throughoperators when you need to make calls
Per minute fees vary by country and service provider Fees could vary depending on whom you callYou may be
charged one fee for placing calls to another cellular phoneand be charged a different fee for placing calls to traditionallandline phones
The countries where you will be able to use your interna-tional wireless phone will vary greatly from wireless carrier towireless carriermdashcheck the details of the international plansfor each wireless carrier
Many US-based service providers offer international roaming(including NextelVoiceStreamWorldCell and ATampT Wireless whichare all discussed next) If you are looking specifically for a wireless planwith international roaming options you may be limited to specificplans or need to have the international calling plan added to your reg-ular service plan at an additional per month fee
Nextel WorldwideSM
Nextel offers a wireless phone the Motorola i2000plus which worksanywhere in the world where Nextel has a working network (currentlyover 80 countries) For more information you should visit their Web siteat wwwnextelcomphone_servicesworldwideNWWservicesshtmlYou do not have to have a separate phone a different phone number or
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166 Chapter 10 bull Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options
a different billThere are additional charges to use your phone over-seasmdasha specified flat rate per minute based on the country you are inAnyone trying to reach you can just dial your wireless phone numberand your phone will ring wherever you are in the world on Nextelrsquosnetwork making this one of the simplest international offers
ATampT WorldConnectreg ServiceATampT Wireless (wwwattwirelesscom) offers a program called ATampTWorldConnect that lets you use your existing wireless phone accountand phone number in many countries around the world but not yourwireless phoneATampT will lease you a GSM phone which will be pro-grammed to receive calls from people dialing your regular wirelessphone numberThe charges show up on your monthly billThis serviceis available in many countries across EuropeAsiaAfricaAustralia LatinAmerica and the Middle EastThe ability to use your existing phonenumber and pay for the international use on your normal wireless billallows you to change few things before traveling abroad
VoiceStreamVoiceStreamrsquos (wwwvoicestreamcom) network uses the GSM standardwhich is the most prevalent standard around the world If you buy awireless phone from VoiceStream that is capable of operating on theGSM frequency in other countries as well as in the United States forexample the tri-mode Ericsson World Phone then you can use thesame phone here and in many places around the world If you are acurrent VoiceStream customer you can also rent a tri-mode phone foryour international travels if you do not have oneThe calling patternsmay change from country to country and the rate will be based onwhere in the world you are but the charges will all show up on yourregular bill and you do not need to have a separate phoneVoiceStreamhas recently merged with Germanyrsquos Duetsche Telecom which willprove to increase the global roaming capabilities for anyone travelingbetween here and there
WorldCellThere are some companies that have created partnerships with wirelesscarriers around the world and will rent or sell you a phone that will
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Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options bull Chapter 10 167
work in over 100 countriesThese services are available for weekly ormonthly use and are available for ordering right over the Web or thephone
WorldCell (wwwworldcellcom) offers many types of phones thatwill work around the globe and lists the prices for calls from manycountries as roughly between $1 and $3 per minuteAs with the otherinternational roaming options the typical user will be a business personwho needs to be in touch wherever he or she is or a vacationer whowants the security he or she enjoys at home with a wireless phone inthe glove boxWorldCell service is a great way to make sure you are intouch while globetrotting
Guide to International Wireless CarriersTable 101 shows 20 of the top countries in the world for wireless usebased on number of customersThe wireless carriers in the countriesand the type of network they operate are listed next to the countryThenetwork standards that each country offers will dictate if an interna-tional phone from the United States will work in that country
NOTE
This is a partial list so check with the US wireless carrier for a listof countries where their international offers work before you makeplans to travel with your wireless phone
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168 Chapter 10 bull Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options
Table 101 The GetConnectedcom Guide to the Top 20 Countriesfor Wireless Use
Country Wireless Carrier(s) Wireless Network(s)
Argentina CTI MovilPCS Mobicom AMPS CDMA TDMABellSouth International Personal Telefonica Unifon
Australia Cable amp Wireless Optus Hutchison AMPS CDMA GSMTelecommunications OneTel Telstra Vodafone Australia
Brazil Too many wireless carriers to list CDMA TDMA
Canada Rogers ATampT Wireless Bell Mobility AMPS CDMA GSM Microcell Telus TDMA
China China Mobile China Unicom AMPS CDMA GSMTACS
France Bouygues Telecom France GSM NMT RCTelecom Mobiles SFR Orange
Germany Duetsche Telecom Mobile E-Plus GSMMobilfunk Mannesmann Mobilfunk Viag Interkom
Italy Blu Omnitel Pronto Italia TIM GSM TACSWind Telecom
Japan Astel Group DDI Pocket Telephone CDMA PDC PHS Group J-Phone NTT DoCoMo TACS
Mexico Iusacell Pegaos Portatel del AMPS CDMA GSM Surestes Telcel Unefon Baja TDMACellular Mexicana Cedetel Movitel del Noroeste Norcel
Netherlands Ben Nederland Dutchtone KPN GSM NMTMobile Libertel-Vodafone Telfort Mobile
Portugal Optimus Telecel TMN C-450 GSM
South Africa MTN Vodacom GSM
South Korea KT Mcom KTF LG Telecom Shinsegi AMPS CDMATelecom SK Telecom
Spain Airtel Amena Telefonica Moviles GSM TACS
Sweden Comviq Europolitan Telia Mobile GSM NMT
Taiwan Chungwa Telecom Far EasTone AMPS GSMTelecom KG Telecom Mobitai Communications Taiwan Cellular TransAsia Telecom
Turkey Aria Telsim Turkcell GSM NMT
United BT Cellnet One2One Orange GSM TACSKingdom Vodafone
wwwgetconnectedcom
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SummaryRoaming per-minute fees can be pricey (typically $035 to $1 perminute plus long distance charges in the United States and up to $3+ per minute internationally) If you plan on making a significantnumber of calls to your family back in New York while on yourmonth-long trip to London and you have a domestic wireless planbe prepared for a big bill that month and you may have to carry adifferent wireless phone than the one you use at home As wirelessservice becomes more and more popular across the globe interna-tional calling and roaming will become more available and lessexpensiveYou can make calls from almost anywhere in the worldusing a satellite phone but the cost of the phone (up to $1500) andthe calls per minute (approximately $2) may not make it the bestoption for you
Quick ReferencesWhat Is Roaming
Roaming is the ability to use your wireless phone beyondyour home area
Additional fees will apply if you do not sign up for a plan thatincludes national roaming
Some networks allow national roaming without roaming feesonly on the wireless carrierrsquos network others allow no-feeroaming anywhere you can get a signal
Domestic Roaming Options
ATampT Wireless provides a large coverage area which equalsminimal roaming fees
Sprint PCS covers most major metropolitan areas in thecountry but roaming fees apply when on analog networks
Verizon Wireless provides the most coverage of any wirelesscarrier and national rate plans that cover almost everywhere
Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options bull Chapter 10 169
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International Roaming Options
Nextelrsquos i2000 phone can be used domestically or internation-ally
With ATampT Wireless WorldConnect you can keep yournumber and your account and get a GSM phone
With VoiceStream you can purchase a tri-mode world phoneso you can call your friends and families while travelingthroughout much of the world
With WorldCell you can lease a phone for the time you needto use it while abroad
Guide to International Wireless Carriers
From Argentina to the UK wireless is booming around theworld
170 Chapter 10 bull Traveling Your Domestic and International Roaming Options
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UnderstandingSpecial Deals andPromotions
Quick References in this chapter
Types of Promotions
Helpful Hints
Summary
Quick References
171
Chapter 11
165_cell_C11qk 111201 221 PM Page 171
172 Chapter 11 bull Understanding Special Deals and Promotions
IntroductionThere are many types of promotions to look for when signing up forwireless servicemdashnot just one-time freebies that you get for signing upfor a new service planWireless carriers offer rebates service creditsmore minutes free advanced services free accessories and additionalincentives for signing longer contractsThese promotional offers can becombined with offers from the wireless phone manufacturers and offersfrom the retailer Finding the right promotion can significantly changethe value of a plan over the length of a contract
What about the fine print Every promotion has fine print and wire-less promotions are no exceptionThe promotions always have expirationdatesThey are available only on some plans or certain planphone com-binationsThey give you free features that work only with advancedphonesThe additional minutes may all be during off-peak hours whenyou are more likely to be sleeping than using your phone
How do you sort through it all Relax sit back and read throughthe following tips and tricks from veteran wireless phone researchers
PROMOTIONS AT GETCONNECTEDCOM
All of the promotions you will see on the home page and throughoutthe site are promotions that are currently available throughwwwGetConnectedcom If you click on any of the promotions it willlead you to the plan(s) that are eligible for that promotion
Types of PromotionsFirst you want to determine the types of promotions that are beingoffered to you to by the service providers to see which ones may makeyour wireless service cost less and which ones you will not need or willnot useThe following types are the most common but creative mar-keting teams are always working on new ones
Service CreditsService credits are similar to rebates but the dollar amount is creditedautomatically to your bill Sometimes the service credits are spread outover a certain length of time to ensure that you stay with the service
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Understanding Special Deals and Promotions bull Chapter 11 173
Because service credits are applied automatically to your bill servicecredits are more valuable to you than rebates as they require no efforton your part to redeem from the service provider
RebatesRebates range in dollar value but they have one thing in commonYouhave to send in the required information (receipts wireless phonenumber etc) to get them Many rebates also have length-of-servicerestrictions that require you to have your service activated for a certainnumber of days or months before you can send it in Rebates are a greatway to get you to buy but they should be only a part of your decisionespecially if you are not certain that you will get around to sending it inAnd donrsquot forget to send in the rebate or the value for you goes to zero
More Minutes ldquoSign Now and Get 1000 More Minutesrdquo This could be a great valuemdashbut then again maybe notThere aremany questions to answer before you can decide
Is it 1000 minutes each month or 1000 minutes over a one-year contract
Are the 1000 minutes anytime minutes or just night andweekend minutes
Are the 1000 minutes only in your local coverage area or any-where on the network
Are long distance calls included
Are incoming calls included
After you know the answers to all of those questions you candecide if a free minute promotion is important to you or not
Free Advanced Services ldquoGet One Year of MusicPlayer Free (A $120 Value)rdquo Are you already planning on buying the more expensive phone that sup-ports this service If so then this is a great deal for you If not then thispromotion doesnrsquot mean anything to you Other advanced services thatare promoted this way include Wireless Internet access or text messaging
wwwgetconnectedcom
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174 Chapter 11 bull Understanding Special Deals and Promotions
Contract Length-Based Incentives ldquoSign Up for a One-Year Contract and Get Free Long Distancerdquo These types of promotions offer a variety of incentives but they allhave one thing in common you have to sign a one- or two-year con-tract to get them First you have to decide if you are willing tocommit to a single service provider for a year or more If you arenrsquotwilling to sign a long-term agreement then you should stop looking atthese promotions If signing a service agreement of an extended periodof time is not a problem for you then you should examine the detailsof what the service provider is actually offering youThe mostcommon incentives are free standard features such as long distancemobile-to-mobile calling minutes or additional rebates If you weregoing to choose one of these options anyway then this could be agreat deal for you
Free Accessories ldquoSign Up Now and Get a Free Headset KitrdquoThese types of promotions offer you a tangible incentive but make sureyou know the real value of what you are getting Many headsets can bebought for prices as low as $999 if you shop around Is the serviceprovider offering you a free rapid charger All phones come with a bat-tery charger otherwise how would you be able to keep using itEveryone loves free stuff but view these types of promotion as gravyafter you have decided what service plan and phone you really need
COMBINING PROMOTIONS
Q Can I get more than one promotionA Absolutely Unless the promotion says ldquonot available with otheroffersrdquo it can be combined with other promotions for which theplan or phone qualifies
Q Why donrsquot they just make it all one big offer A Frequently the offers are from different sources one fromthe wireless carrier one from the phone manufacturer and onefrom the retailer Also different types of promotions may berunning over different time periods
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Understanding Special Deals and Promotions bull Chapter 11 175
Helpful HintsReading the fine print is key for all promotionsWireless carriers usepromotions to sell more of a certain type of plan or more of a certaintype of phoneYou need to know what the restrictions on the promo-tion are so that you can make sure your service plan choice qualifies forthe promotion in question Otherwise you could be disappointed onceyou get your first bill
Limited Time OfferYour wireless account will most likely need to be activated prior to theexpiration date not just ordered in order for you to qualify for the pro-motion If you waited until the last minute and something holds upyour order you could lose out on the promotion
Plan RestrictionsPlan restrictions refer to promotions that are valid only on plans with a certain monthly fee level and aboveThe promotion may befurther restricted to only local or only regional plans Sometimes it isjust as important to understand what the restrictions on the promo-tion are to truly understand what the promotional offer means to theconsumer
Phone RestrictionsSome promotions are valid only if you buy a particular name brand ormodel phone with a service plan within a certain price range Or thepromotion may be for a service that is supported only on certainphonesThis is usually the case with features that are supported onadvanced phones only
MinutesHow many minutes are too many If you could talk for 24 hoursstraight you could use up 1440 minutes Unless you are a teenagerthatrsquos almost impossible More conservatively if you talked for six hoursevery weekend in a month you would use up 1440 minutes Beforeyou get overly impressed by the number of free minutes that you areentitled to with the special offer do the math
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176 Chapter 11 bull Understanding Special Deals and Promotions
The restrictions on the minutes are also important to check Unlessthe minutes fit into your already determined usage times and patternsthey wonrsquot be valuable to you
Services Yoursquoll Never UseCanrsquot pass up free long distance Think again If you donrsquot call anyoneoutside of your metro area you wonrsquot get a lot of value Free mobile-to-mobile minutes Are your local friends on the same network If nottry another promotion Free Wireless Internet service Is your phonecompatible Have you tried it out to see if the usability will work foryou The Internet service has been available for several years but if youarenrsquot comfortable with the limitations you wonrsquot use it
wwwgetconnectedcom
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SummaryPromotions are geared to get you to buyThey are supposed to looklike great deals and great values and sometimes they are Servicecredits and rebates are guaranteed great values Depending on how youplan to use your phone a promotion can increase the overall value ofyour new plan More minute promotions are like a free upgrade if themore minutes fit your already determined usage patterns Contractlength incentives are great deals as long as you arenrsquot planning onmoving out of town next month If you have already decided that youneed certain features or accessories then these types of promotionswill be helpful to you
The important thing to remember is that you should put your basicneeds before the promotions that make your heart raceThink of pro-motions as extra values rather than as the main reason you are buyingAplan that meets your everyday needs will save you more money thanfree stuff that you never use
Quick References
Types of Promotions
Money Back Service credits and rebates put the cash back inyour pocket
Free Services Getting a little something extra for nothing isalways enticing but make sure it is something that you want
Free Products Shop around to find out the real value of theproduct being offered
Helpful Hints
Read the fine print
Check the expiration dates
Make sure it is a feature or service that fits in with yourplanned usage patterns and works with your phone choice
Understanding Special Deals and Promotions bull Chapter 11 177
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165_cell_C11qk 111201 221 PM Page 178
Looking Ahead
Part IV
165_cell_C12qk 111201 222 PM Page 179
165_cell_C12qk 111201 222 PM Page 180
Frequently AskedQuestions
Frequently Asked Questions about Phones
Frequently Asked Questions about ServiceRates and Plans
More Frequently Asked Questions
181
Chapter 12
165_cell_C12qk 111201 222 PM Page 181
182 Chapter 12 bull Frequently Asked Questions
IntroductionEverybody has questionsWersquoll give you the low down on some of themost frequently asked questions that our customer care experts answerdailyThen you can be the expert
Frequently Asked Questions about PhonesWhen you look at the hundreds of phones that are on the markettoday you are going to have questions about themThe previous chap-ters gave an overview of the basics and differences Here we will listsome of the most common questions with the short answers
What are the differences between analog and digital phones
Analog phones operate by sending and receiving signals in acontinuous sound wave digital phones send and receive mes-sages by converting sounds and voices into numeric code
Analog phones generally are less expensive than digitalphones but the service is usually more costly
Analog phones have shorter talk and standby times than dig-ital phones
Analog phones offer more complete coverage in rural areas Digital phones offer better voice quality Digital phones have a longer battery life Many digital phones also work on analog networks
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 2
What is the difference between PCS and cellular
Phones that operate on a PCS system (personal communica-tions service) use digital technology and offer advanced fea-tures like caller ID
Cellular phones can use either digital or analog technologyor both
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 3
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Frequently Asked Questions bull Chapter 12 183
What is Third Generation The Third Generation (3G) mobile devices and services are the nextwave 3G will provide the capacity for online real-time transfer ofinformation regardless of time and place For example you will be ableto send images or participate in live video conferencing by using your3G mobile communications device
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 13
What is a dual-band phoneA dual-band phone is a PCS phone (digital) that can operate on analogcellular networks when it is out of range of PCS network antennas
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 6
What battery has the longest life NiMH or Li-IonLithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries tend to offer the longest talk times andstandby times in a lightweight packagemdashand tend to be the mostexpensive Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries are the reliablestandard that offer average talk times (2 to 5 hours) and standby times(24 to 48 hours)
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 7
What is the difference between talk time and standby time Talk time is the amount of time you spend conversing on your wire-less phone either making outgoing calls or receiving incoming callsStandby time is the amount of time that you have your phone on butare not actually talking on itYou do not have three hours of talk timeand thirty hours of standby time on one battery you have either threehours maximum to talk or thirty hours maximum to be on standby
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
Frequently Asked Questions aboutService Rates and PlansEven after you know all about the different rate plans services optionsand features you may still have a few questions that you want clarifiedIf this is the case you are not alone
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184 Chapter 12 bull Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the quality of my wireless servicesometimes inconsistentYour service quality may vary from time to time based on a number offactors including but not limited to the weather your distance from atower and large obstacles (such as buildings) causing service interference
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 9
Which wireless carrier has the best signal strengthIt dependsAs mentioned earlier the quality of your service will dependon where you live work and playYour best resources for this questionare your friends and familyThey can tell you first hand what theirexperience with a network in your area has been
What is roamingWhen you use your phone outside of your local calling area (asdefined by your wireless carrier) you are roaming on another wire-less carrierrsquos network Airtime minutes used when roaming are gener-ally not part of your basic calling plan Check your wireless carrierrsquosplan details and coverage maps to determine when you are roamingand how you are charged for these calls Most wireless carriers alsosend an indicator to your screen display to tell you when you areroaming
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 10
If it is called a nationwide plan then why are there roaming chargesNationwide plans tend to have no roaming charges if you are in yourwireless carrierrsquos network area If you wander over to another wirelesscarrierrsquos network then you may incur roaming charges
Although many of the nationwide wireless carriers have extensivephysical networks built they donrsquot have every square inch of the UnitedStates covered So you could have a nationwide plan based in New YorkCity and when you travel to Dallas San Francisco and Des Moines youmay have no roaming chargesThen when you take a day trip to ruralPennsylvania you wind up with roaming charges Itrsquos not how far awayyou go but exactly where you go
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Frequently Asked Questions bull Chapter 12 185
What plans do not charge for roamingFind the plan that covers the areas in which you travel and you will beall set If you are trying to find a plan that has absolutely no roamingcharges ever then look for a service plan that will work with phonesthat can work on digital and analog networks and which states thatthere are no roaming fees on any network
How do I know which mode my phone is inYour phone display will have an indicator or symbol to show if you arein a digital or analog mode
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 10
What do peak and off-peak hours indicatePeak hours refer to the hours of highest wireless phone usageTypicallypeak minutes are billed at a service planrsquos highest rate Conversely off-peak hours refer to the hours of the lowest wireless phone usage andare billed at lower rates
Peak and off-peak times vary significantly by wireless carrier Checkthe details to know for sure Peak hours typically are between the hoursof 7 AM and 7 PM Monday through Friday Off-peak hours includethe weekends some holidays and the hours from 7 PM to 7 AM duringthe week
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
How do service providers count anytime minutes versus evening and weekend minutesIf you call during peak times you will be using your anytime minutes Ifyou call during off-peak times you will be using your evening andweekend minutes If you call during peak times and talk straight throughto off-peak times the minutes you talk during peak time are countedtoward your anytime minutes and the minutes you talk during off-peaktime automatically switch over to your evening and weekend minutes
Do I get charged when people call meYesYou are billed for the amount of airtime minutes that you useregardless if the call is incoming or outgoing However some serviceproviders have a feature that offers a free first minute of incoming calls
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
wwwgetconnectedcom
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186 Chapter 12 bull Frequently Asked Questions
Does it use up my minutes when I call other wireless phonesSometimes Some service providers also offer a mobile-to-mobile fea-ture for a monthly feeThis nice benefit allows you free local calls toother users of your service providerrsquos wireless phone service If you calla wireless phone on another network you will be charged the samenumber of minutes as if you called a regular phone number
When I call my voice mail am I using my minutesIt depends on the wireless carrier and the planWhen you call toretrieve your voice mail messages you may be charged airtime minutesYou will need to read the fine print or call customer service to verifythis on a carrier-by-carrier and plan-by-plan basis
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
What is considered a long distance callA wireless call is considered to be long distance if it is placed to anumber outside of your local calling area (which is defined by your ser-vice provider) Make sure yoursquore familiar with the boundaries of yourservice providerrsquos coverage map and local calling area
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 9
Are toll free number calls freeNoYou will not be charged a long distance charge to call a toll freenumber however you will be charged airtime for the minutes you areusing your phone to call the toll free number
What is the farthest I can call from my wireless phoneYou can call any phone number around the world with some wirelesscarriers but many restrict international calling Read the details of theservice plan to see if international calling is allowed at all or if there isan extra monthly fee to allow it
Can all cellular phones be used worldwide NoTo be able to place a call while you are outside the United Statesyou must have a wireless phone that is designed for use on the network
wwwgetconnectedcom
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Frequently Asked Questions bull Chapter 12 187
in the country where you will be traveling Most countries have someform of wireless phone service but the phone that you use in a countrymust be compatible with the prevalent technology in that country Forexample GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) is mostcommonly used in Europe and some phones sold in the United Statescan work on the European network
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 10
More Frequently Asked Questions Still have some questions left The answers are in here somewhere
Can I just keep the phone I have and change plansWe recommend buying a phone at the same time you buy your plan tobe sure that your phone is technologically compatible with your planFor example if you currently have an analog phone but you switch to adigital calling plan your analog phone will be uselessAlso the phonemust be programmed for a specific wireless provider So if you switchwireless providers your previous phone will not work
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
Can I change my service plan at any timeIf you purchased your current phone in the past year and you wantto switch to a different plan that your current wireless carrier isoffering you should be able to do that by contacting your wirelesscarrier directlyThere may be additional fees depending on the wireless carrier
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
Can I keep my phone number if I move or switch wireless carriersNoWhen you move or switch wireless carriers you will receive a newphone numberThe exception would be if you keep the same wirelesscarrier and move within the same area codemdashthen you may be able tokeep the same number
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
wwwgetconnectedcom
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188 Chapter 12 bull Frequently Asked Questions
If I donrsquot like my phone number can I change itYes If you do not like your assigned phone number you can call yourwireless carrier and ask for a new phone numberThere may be a feecharged for this service depending on the wireless carrier
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
Do I have to sign a contractUsually but not alwaysAlthough most wireless carriers have a standardone-year contract length there are wireless carriers who still havemonth-to-month services availableThere may be an additionalmonthly charge if you do not sign a one-year contract On the otherside there are frequently incentives (promotions and additional services)if you are willing to sign up for a two-year contract
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
Why do I need a credit card to buy a phoneIf you want the convenience of purchasing online (or by phone) youwill need a credit card because computers donrsquot take cash If you donrsquothave a credit card but you are over 18 and donrsquot have bad credit thenyou can usually go to a retail store with two forms of ID and get set up
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 8
Are rebates for phones instant or mail-inIt depends on the promotion Most rebates do need to be mailed in bya certain date to get the credit or checkWireless carriers try to distin-guish between types of rebates by highlighting immediate credit pro-motions as instant service credits or instant rebates
For more information on this topic please refer to Chapter 11
wwwgetconnectedcom
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The Future ofWirelessCommunications
Quick References in this chapter
As Use Increases Prices Fall
What to Consider before Throwing AwayYour Home Phone
Wireless as the Only CommunicationsNetwork
Combining All Your Devices
3GmdashThe Third Generation of Wireless
Summary
Quick References
189
Chapter 13
165_cell_C13qk 111201 227 PM Page 189
190 Chapter 13 bull The Future of Wireless Communications
IntroductionMarket analysts estimate the number of mobile phone users worldwide atjust fewer than 500 million and projections place that number at around125 billion within the next five years In the United States alone thenumber of wireless customers is well over 110 million People are alsostarting to dispose of their home phones in favor of wireless phones
These staggering numbers can mean only one thing wireless net-works are destined to rival the traditional phone services that Ma Bellhas been maintaining since before the turn of the centuryAnnoyingno-signal messages will go the way of the switchboard operatorRoaming will cease to have anything to do with complex billing issuesand everyonemdashyou me that guy who thinks wireless phones are thedownfall of society and culturemdashwill carry a wireless phone
The remaining hurdles for everyone to forsake their home phonesin favor of wireless are reliability coverage features and cost Cost isbecoming less and less an issue as wireless phones and services arebecoming more affordable and comparable to home phones Coverageareas for wireless services in residential areas are getting better in bothservice areas and quality of service however coverage is still an issue formany individuals in overly remote or rural locationsThe reliability ofwireless service is increasing as coverage areas are increasing and thefeatures available on wireless phones are rivaling those available on yourhome phone
As Use Increases Prices FallThe cost of an average wireless minute continues to drop bringing itcloser to the cost of an average minute of use from your home phonebut with the additional features being offered to consumers the averagemonthly wireless bill may soon increaseAs these per minute prices getcloser together more and more people will abandon their home phonesaltogether and go purely wirelessToday according to the Yankee Groupthe leading telecommunications industry analysts approximately 2 to 4percent of people polled say they are using only wireless phonesThatnumber is a 100 percent increase from last year and is expected to con-tinue to grow exponentially year
Average monthly wireless bills are approximately $40 but thatnumber varies greatly between the wireless carriersWireless carrierslike Nextel who promote directly to business users have the highest
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The Future of Wireless Communications bull Chapter 13 191
average monthly service fee around $70Wireless carriers who have ahigh percentage of prepaid wireless users have lower average monthlyservice fees which could run anywhere from $20 to $30As wirelesscarriers start to add more and more minutes to their rate plans theaverage cost per minute of use will continue to fall and the $30 you payfor your home phone will be an expense you can easily replace with a$30 monthly service fee for a phone that you can take anywhere
The average monthly mobile bill has decreased between 7 and 10 per-cent per year for the past decade making mobile phones an increasinglypractical investmentAs that trend continues it begs to ask the questionldquoWhy bother owning two phones at allrdquo In many instances owning amobile phone has become more economical than owning only a landline
However the trend of lower average per-minute costs for wirelesshas not escaped notice of the wireless carriers who are adding new fea-tures to their wireless services and charging customers extra to usethem thereby trying to increase the revenue that the wireless carrierssee on a monthly basis So if you go totally wireless and want to sende-mails from your phone you will pay extra for that which only makessensemdashadded features for added cost
What to Consider before ThrowingAway Your Home PhoneBefore becoming the savvy unencumbered and entirely mobile indi-vidual that you aspire to be consider the following
Clarity Donrsquot toss out your big button classic until you arecomfortable that wireless service will function normallythroughout your homeTry a call from the bedroom with thedoor closed check your voice mail from the basement sit inyour closet Even give it a try from the bathroomTherersquosnothing worse than missing a call while brushing your teeth
Internet Access Despite the busy signal or instant voicemail that tells friends and family they have been forsaken forthe wonders of the Web dial-up access is still the cheapest andsimplest game in town So unless you are ready to lay down afew bucks for alternate Web access like cable or a DigitalSubscriber Line (DSL) yoursquore going to be beholden to yourhome phone line for a little while longerThere are a number
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192 Chapter 13 bull The Future of Wireless Communications
of wireless Internet services out there but they are still rela-tively slow and expensive
Equipment Many phones using digital networks offeroptions like caller ID and voice mail but theyrsquore not yet asfull-featured as landlinesAlso keep in mind that mobilephone technology is developing at an intense speed so itrsquoslikely that yoursquoll be upgrading in less than a year (six to sevenmonths on average according to one telecom analyst) and at asignificant cost
Air Time Do you talk a lot If yoursquore a phone junkie itdoesnrsquot matter if you call local or long distancemdashyoursquoll usemost service providersrsquo free minutes plans in a matter of daysAnd thatrsquos when things get expensive
Dead Battery Barring a compulsive urge to save energy atall costs yoursquore going to end up with a dead battery at somepoint
Wireless as the OnlyCommunications NetworkThe technology enabling you to dispense of your home phone is onlygoing to improve In developing countries with little or no telecommu-nications infrastructure the obvious and inexpensive solution is wirelessfor all telephone communicationsThe signal tower has replaced thetelephone pole and airwaves have replaced the wires It is much lessexpensive to build a few towers to cover a large population of peoplefor wireless phones than it is to put up phone poles and string tele-phone cables to all houses in very remote areas
Around the world the push is on for reliable wireless service andthe resulting effect of its rapid worldwide establishment is a pent-updemand for wireless Some countries create waiting lists for wirelessphones when a network is being builtAnd the customers are happy tobe on the listmdashthey have been waiting years for a landline phone so acouple weeks to wait for a wireless phone is truly remarkable
If you opt for a satellite phone there is virtually no place in theworld where you cannot use the phoneThe problem with satellitephones is that they are still very expensive (approximately $1500 for thephone) and the service is prohibitive for most (a call will cost well over$1 per minute sometimes four or five times that much)These prices are
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The Future of Wireless Communications bull Chapter 13 193
decreasing and as with all wireless technology prices will become moremainstream if the market place responds with a need for satellite phones
Combining All Your DevicesMany people carry around multiple electronic devices to stay connectedand stay organizedmdashphone pager PDA MP3 playerThe future of wire-less is that all these devices can be thrown away and one device canreplace themWhy carry a briefcase to lug around all your digital deviceswhen you can have a single device that fits in your shirt pocket
The struggle that is evolving today is one regarding the ldquoformfactorrdquo of the all-in-one devices Do we want a PDA that works like aphone and pager or a phone that acts like a PDA Do we need a fullkeyboard on the device or will we use a regular phone keypad Shouldthe device have a microphone built in or should it have an earpiecethat pulls out from the device with a wire to use as the earpiece andmicrophone They jury is currently out with things like the formerlyvoice-less Handspring Visor PDA adding the Visor Phone module to itscompatible product list One sure sign of the push to get consumeradoption of these devices can be seen in the rapid price reductions ofthe Visor Phonemdashfrom $300 (on top of the cost of the Visor from $200to $500) to FREEmdashas long as you activate service with the wirelesscarrier On the phone with a PDA included side Kyocera has come outwith a phone that has the Palm operating system built in so you canthrow away your Palm Pilot and make calls from their 6035 modelphoneThe only problem is the price tagmdash$400 to $500
One of the last hurdles to make that all-in-one device a must-haveitem is the ability to tie into your information at work Most companiesuse an e-mail program and calendar program that sits behind a securefirewall and is next to impossible to access from the outside world witha wireless devicemdashwithout getting help from the IT departmentAndeven if you can access your e-mail you typically have to handle mul-tiple e-mail accounts with duplicate e-mails all over the place if you useyour wireless phone to read and reply or otherwise manage your e-mailThis is getting better with new applications that are being devel-oped as well as with new technology that the wireless carriers arestarting to add to their networks to help make the whole process morecustomer-friendly
So the future of wireless will see these all-in-one devices comedown in price get smaller in size and do all the things that your
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194 Chapter 13 bull The Future of Wireless Communications
desktop computer doesmdashwithout having to work with your IT depart-ment or completely reconfigure your computer
3GmdashThe Third Generation of WirelessYou may have heard about the next step for wireless phones that iscoming soonmdashThird Generation Wireless or 3G 3G is an umbrellaterm covering all the new data services that will be coming soon to yourwireless phone and networkThese services include high-speed data fore-mail and Web content downloading songs and even video confer-encingAlthough all this sounds great it will take a tremendous amountof effort and money on the wireless carriersrsquo sides to update their net-works for the increased amount of bandwidth that will be required tosend these services over the wireless network Currently many wirelesscarriers are preparing their networks for higher speed and bandwidthdata requirements Phone manufacturers are creating phones that willoffer these services In the fall of 2001 NTT DoCoMo in Japan releasedthe first ever 3G phone into the hands of their consumers includingwireless video capabilities Is 3G coming to the United States Yes but itwill take a while for it to succeed here with all the features that willdrive wireless demand and use (and revenue for the wireless carriers)
The first generation of wireless was pure voice without wiresThesecond generation was the ability to send voice and data using digitalsignals which is where the majority of wireless users are todayThereare many phones out there that can access Web sites send and receivemessages and listen to music Some wireless networks are beingupgraded to allow what is being called 25G services higher speed datathan 2G with ldquoalways-onrdquo capability instead of making the user switchfrom voice to data when they want to use one or the other Carriersare starting to prepare for 3G by moving to 25G and phone manufac-turers are preparing by making phones that can work on todayrsquos 2G and25G networks and that will be upgradeable to the 3G networks
The only question remaining for the wireless carriers and thephone manufacturers is ldquoWhat will be the 3G capability that everyonewill absolutely need and be willing to pay extra forrdquoAnd the jury isdefinitely still out on that question Maybe those lucky enough to buythe new 3G phones in Japan (costing approximately $600) will discoverthe answer to that question and tell the rest of the wireless world
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SummaryThe future of wireless is looking incredibly brightThe ability to use awireless phone as your only phone with the same reliability and clarityyou are used to for your home phone is coming soonmdashindeed it isalready here in some parts of the country New services are being addedto wireless phones with more to come all the time to make your wire-less phone the only communication device you need for voice theInternet video music and more
Quick References
As Use Increases Prices Fall
The average monthly cost for wireless use is around $40but varies from less than $20 for minimal use to over $100for heavy use
Per-minute rates continue to fall with increasingly largeincluded minutes in rate plans
Carriers are looking to extra features like wireless messagingand e-mail at extra cost to help offset the lower per-minuteprices or even to increase the monthly revenue
Only approximately 2 to 4 percent of wireless users use onlywireless and have no home phone
What to Consider before Throwing Away Your Home Phone
Consider clarity and coveragemdashmake sure you have adequatewireless service at your house
Consider other telephone line needs like Internet access faxmachines etc
Consider the need for powermdashmake sure you have extra bat-teries or a charger that allows you to talk and charge at thesame time
The Future of Wireless Communications bull Chapter 13 195
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The Future of Wireless Communications bull Chapter 13 195
165_cell_C13qk 111201 227 PM Page 195
Wireless as the Only Communications Network
Wiring every home in remote areas of the world is incrediblyexpensive and nearly impossible so wireless networks can fillthe need for developing countries
Waiting lists in countries for years is not uncommon for tradi-tional telephone service so waiting lists are being created forwireless phones as soon as the first shovel of dirt is taken for anew antenna for a new wireless network
Satellite phones are available and cover virtually the entireworld but are big expensive and mostly for individuals thatmust be in touch wherever they are
Combining All Your Devices
Wireless phone pager Personal Digital Assistant MP3Playermdashit does it all but do you or will you need it
Is the best fit a phone with an added PDA or a PDA with anadded phone The debate continues
Price is still driving the decision for potential usersmdashall-in-onedevices are about $400mdash$500
3GmdashThe Third Generation of Wireless
The first generation of wireless was voice
The second generation of wireless (2G) was voice and data
The second-and-a-half generation of wireless (25G) consistsof voice data Internet content and higher speed data access
The third generation of wireless (3G) is virtually everythingyou have with a wired devicemdashvoice data Internet high-speed data video music and so on
Japan has 3G todaymdashthe rest of the world waits to see whatthey think and will join them in 2002 or beyond
196 Chapter 13 bull The Future of Wireless Communications
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196 Chapter 13 bull The Future of Wireless Communications
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Glossary ofWireless Terms
197
Appendix A
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198 Appendix A bull Glossary of Wireless Terms
3G The Third Generation of wireless services thatinclude high-speed data video and music over highbandwidth access
Access Fee A monthly charge for the ability to con-nect to a wireless networkThis fee is assessed monthlywhether the phone is actually used or not
Activation Fee A fee charged by service providers toconfigure a phone to work on a carrierrsquos networkThereis usually a charge to activate your phone somewherearound the $25 mark
Advanced Mobile Phone Service The ldquotraditionalcellularrdquo phone system
Air Interface The operating system that a wirelessphone is onThese include AMPS CDMA GSM andTDMA
Airtime The amount of time customers spend talkingover their wireless networks for which they are billedThis time usually includes the time spent talking on bothincoming and outgoing calls
Alphanumeric Display A display screen on a phoneusually an LCD screen that has the ability to displayboth text and numbers
Alphanumeric Messaging The capability to displaymessages on a phone in both text and numbers
AMPS Refer to Advanced Mobile Phone Service
Analog The original cellular air interface or technologyused to transmit voice from the wireless phone to the cel-lular antenna and base stationAnalog waves are continuoussound waves that are transmitted from point to point
Antenna A device for transmitting and receiving radiosignals
Area Code A three-digit telephone number prefixassigned to a calling area
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Glossary of Wireless Terms bull Appendix A 199
Automatic Call Delivery A service feature thatallows a user to receive calls even when roaming outsideof the phonersquos home coverage area
Bandwidth The amount of data you can send througha channel Usually measured in bits-per-second (bps)The greater the bandwidth the greater the amount ofdata transmitted over a given period of time
Base Station A fixed location (such as a cellular tele-phone tower) that communicates to many mobile sta-tions (wireless phones)
Broadband A communications channel of high band-width capable of transmitting a relatively large amountof data over a given period of time
Bundling Grouping various telecommunications ser-vices as a package to increase the appeal to potential cus-tomers For example a bundled package could includelong distance cellular Internet and cable services
Call Blocking A feature that allows a user to preventincoming calls from specified callers
Call Forwarding A feature that allows callers toreceive calls at another number when they know theywill be away from their phone
Call Return Usually called 69 this feature allows theuser to get the number of the last incoming call
Call Waiting A feature that allows a user to be noti-fied of another incoming call while a call is already inprogress and gives the user the ability to answer thesecond call while the first call remains on hold
Caller ID A feature that displays a callerrsquos telephonenumber andor name before the call is answered
Cancellation Fee A charge for canceling your cellularservice contract before the contract has endedThis canbe as much as $200
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200 Appendix A bull Glossary of Wireless Terms
Carrier A company that provides telecommunicationsservices Same as Service Provider
CDMA Refer to Code Division Multiple Access
Cell The geographic region that is serviced by onebase station in either analog cellular or digital networks
Cell Site The location where the wireless antenna andnetwork communications equipment is placed
Cellular The type of wireless communication that ismost familiar to mobile phones users Called cellularbecause the system uses many base stations to divide aservice area into multiple cells Cellular calls are trans-ferred from base station to base station as a user travelsfrom cell to cell
Channel A path or frequency along which a commu-nications signal is transmitted
Circuit-Switched Data Wireless data transmittedover a single channel thereby tying up a channel for theentire transmission
Code Division Multiple Access One method thedigital technologies use for wireless phone serviceCDMA encodes each call as a coded sequence across theentire frequency spectrum Each conversation is modu-lated in the digital domain with a unique code thatmakes it distinguishable from the other calls in the fre-quency spectrum
Coverage Area The area in which you can use yourwireless service as determined by your service providerIt usually includes your service area around your homeas well as some extended service areas where can useyour service but where you may be charged long dis-tance andor roaming charges Same as Service Area
Digital A technology that transmits phone signalsacross long distances by converting voice and data intobinary codes of zeros and ones and sending it across net-
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Glossary of Wireless Terms bull Appendix A 201
works of small regions one region at a time at a certainwavelengthThese networks are also known as PersonalCommunications Service (PCS) networks a namebranded by Sprint
Dual Band A feature on some digital phones thatallows it to operate on analog networks when digital ser-vice is not available and vice versa
Dual Mode Describes a phone that works on bothanalog and digital networks
Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio Systems thatuse digital radio transmission similar to other digitaltechnologies Spread-spectrum modes such as frequencyhopping are common One major difference from othernetworks is that in an ESMR system connectionbetween users is almost instantaneous compared withthe typical delay required to dial and set up a call in apublic cellular network
ESMR See Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio
Extended Service Area The part of the carrierrsquos cov-erage area where you can use the network you may becharged roaming andor long distance charges however
FCC Refer to Federal CommunicationsCommission
Federal Communications Commission A USgovernment agency responsible for regulating communi-cations industries
Frequency A measure of the energy as one or morewaves per second in an electrical or light wave informa-tion signalA signalrsquos frequency is stated in either cycles-per-second or Hertz (Hz)
GHz (gigaHertz) Billions of Hertz
Global Positioning System A series of 24 geosyn-chronous satellites that continuously transmit their positionUsed in personal tracking navigation and automatic vehiclelocation technologies
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202 Appendix A bull Glossary of Wireless Terms
Global System for Mobile Communications Themain technology used by the European systems it is usedby only a small percentage of wireless carriers in theUnited States
GPS Refer to Global Positioning System
GSM Refer to Global System for MobileCommunications
Handset Any handheld device used to transmit andreceive calls from a wireless systemAlso known as a wirelessphone a cellular phone a mobile phone or a PCS phone
Hands-Free A feature for mobile phones that allowsdrivers to use their car phone without lifting or holdingthe handset to their earsAn important safety feature
Hands-Free Speakerphone A feature of some wire-less phones that allows users to talk and listen to callswithout holding the phone against their heads
Handheld Device Markup Language A languageused to create Web sites accessible to wireless devices
Hand-Off The process where a wireless call is movedfrom one tower to another while the user is travelingfrom place to place
HDML Refer to Handheld Device MarkupLanguage
Hertz A measurement of electromagnetic energyequivalent to one ldquowaverdquo or cycle per second
Home Coverage Area The part of the wireless car-rierrsquos coverage area where the rates are lowest with nolong distance or roaming fees
Hz Refer to Hertz
iDEN Refer to Integrated Digital EnhancedNetwork
Incremental Charge The method of rounding usedby wireless carriers to compute your bill Carriers usuallyround your airtime up to the next full minute although
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Glossary of Wireless Terms bull Appendix A 203
some providers round to the closest six seconds or onesecond
Integrated Digital Enhanced Network A MotorolaInc enhanced specialized mobile radio network tech-nology that combines two-way radio telephone textmessaging and data transmission into one network
Integrated Services Digital Network An advancedhigh-capacity wireline technology used for high-speeddata transfer
ISDN Refer to Integrated Services DigitalNetworking
kbps Stands for kilobytes-per-second and is used formeasuring the speed at which data is transmitted
Landline Traditional wired telephone service
LCD Refer to Liquid Crystal Display
LEO Refer to Low-Earth Orbit
Liquid Crystal Display A flat-panel screen used todisplay numbers andor characters Often found on awireless handset
LNP Refer to Local Number Portability
Low-Earth Orbit A mobile communications satellitebetween 700 and 2000 kilometers above the earth
Local Number Portability The ability of subscribersto switch local or wireless carriers and still retain thesame phone number as they can now with long distancecarriersWireless carriers were originally scheduled forLNP in 1999 but have successfully postponed this regu-lation as it will require them to spend millions of dollarsfor system upgrades
Local Calling Area The region across which the callis truly local involving no toll charges
Memory Dialing A feature that allows you to storefrequently called numbers and access them by dialingone number
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204 Appendix A bull Glossary of Wireless Terms
Message Alert A light or other indicator on a wirelessphone that notifies a user that a call has come inAuseful feature especially if the wireless subscriber hasvoice mail
Metropolitan Service Area An area defined by theUS government for use in grouping census data andother statistics MSAs include a city of at least 50000people or an urbanized area of at least 100000 peopleand the counties that include these areas Not all areas ofthe United States are in an MSAThe FCC used thesearea definitions to license cellular telephone service car-riersThere are 306 regions of the United States desig-nated as MSAs
MHz Megahertz which equals 1 million cycles persecond
Micro-Browser Software loaded onto some wirelessphones that is analogous to the Web browser you use toaccess the Internet from your home or work PC
MIN Refer to Mobile Identification Number
Mobile Identification Number The 10-digit phonenumber assigned to your cellular phone
Monthly Access Charge The monthly fee you pay tohave service from a wireless carrier
MSA Refer to Metropolitan Service Area
NAMPS Refer to Narrowband Advanced MobilePhone Service
Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone ServiceWireless technology that incorporates some digital tech-nology to allow the system to carry about three times asmany calls as the original version of AMPS
Nationwide Long Distance Calling to anywhere inthe United States from anywhere in the United StatesAn additional per-minute fee typically is charged
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Glossary of Wireless Terms bull Appendix A 205
NiCad Refer to Nickel Cadmium Battery
Nickel Cadmium Battery The earliest form ofrechargeable battery for wireless phones
No Service Indicator A feature of wireless phonesthat tells the user that wireless service is unavailable in aparticular location Usually an LED on the handset
Off-Peak Designated times when calling rates are lowThese times are generally evenings and weekends
Packet-Switched Data Wireless data transmitted overmultiple channels thereby not tying up a channel for theentire transmission
Paging A feature of a wireless device that allowsreception of a signal or alphanumeric message
PCS Refer to Personal Communication Services
PDA Refer to Personal Digital Assistant
Personal Communications Services A two-way1900 MHz digital voice messaging and data servicedesigned as the second generation of cellular
Personal Digital Assistant A portable computingdevice capable of transmitting dataThese devices makepossible services such as paging data messaging elec-tronic mail computing facsimile date book and otherinformation handling capabilities
Peak Period(s) Any time of day as determined by awireless carrier when there are high levels of communi-cations traffic on the system
Prepaid Cellular A system allowing subscribers to payin advanced for wireless service Prepaid is generally usedfor customers with little or no credit history students orthose who want to adhere to a budget
Radio Frequency The range within radio wavesmay be transmitted from about 3 KHz to about300000 MHz
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206 Appendix A bull Glossary of Wireless Terms
RF Refer to Radio Frequency
Roadside Assistance An added feature that gives youroadside emergency help
Roaming Using your phone outside of your local ser-vice areaYou usually are charged an additional per-minutefee for this service and may also be charged an additionalmonthly roaming fee for the first use per month
Roaming Indicator The symbol on your phone thatindicates that you are outside of your home area
Roamer Port A special port or phone number usedin the early days of wireless that the user needed to dialinto in order to use the wireless phone while travelingoutside of their home area
Service Area The geographic area served by a wirelesssystem Same as Coverage Area
Service Charge The amount you pay each month toreceive wireless serviceThis amount is fixed and paidmonthly regardless of how much or how little you useyour wireless phone
Service Plan Rate or calling plan provided by a wire-less carrier Calling rates allotted minutes per month andmonthly fees vary by the service plan
Service Provider Synonymous with WirelessCarrierA company that supplies telecommunicationservices (examples include ATampT Cingular Sprint PCSVerizon)
Short Message Service The ability to send andreceive text messages on your wireless phoneWorksmuch like e-mail with a limitation to the number ofcharacters you can send and receive usually 100 to 200characters maximum
Single Band Phone A wireless phone that operates ononly one frequency for example only analog or digital
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Glossary of Wireless Terms bull Appendix A 207
Single Mode A wireless phone that operates on onlyone frequency
Slamming The unauthorized switching of a cus-tomerrsquos phone service to another carrier
Smart Phone A class of wireless phones typically usedto describe handsets with many features and often a key-boardWhat makes the phone ldquosmartrdquo is its ability tohandle data not only voice calls
SMS Refer to Short Message Service
Subscriber A cellular phone user
Standby Time The amount of time you can leaveyour phone on before you will need to recharge yourbattery
Talk Time The amount of time you can actually talkon your phone before you have to recharge your battery
TDMA Refer to Time Division Multiple Access
Termination Charges Fees that wireless telephonecompanies pay to complete calls on wireline phone net-works or vice versa
Time Division Multiple Access A method of digitalwireless communications transmission that allows a largenumber of users to access (in sequence) a single radiofrequency channel without interference by allocatingunique time slots to each user within each channel
Toll Charges Charges for placing long distance calls
Toll-Free Calling Area An area in which calls can beplaced without incurring long distance charges
Tri-Mode Phone Phones that work on three fre-quencies typically using 1900 MHz 800 MHz digital orreverting to 800 MHz analog cellular when digital is notavailableAlso these phones may have the ability to workon 900 MHz networks overseas
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208 Appendix A bull Glossary of Wireless Terms
Voice Activation A feature that allows a subscriber todial a phone by spoken commands instead of pressingthe number keys physicallyThe feature contributes toconvenience as well as safe driving
Voice Mail A system that answers phone calls andrecords incoming messages
Voice Recognition The capability for cellularphones PCs and other communications devices to beactivated or controlled by voice commands
Voice-Activated Dialing A feature that allows usersto speak words into a wireless phone to cause it to dialpreprogrammed telephone numbers without using thebuttons
WAP Refer to Wireless Application Protocol
WBMP Refer to Wireless Bitmap Images
Wireless Using the radio-frequency spectrum fortransmitting and receiving voice data and video signalsfor communications
Wireless Application Protocol A universal standardcreated to allow access to the wireless Internet
Wireless Bitmap Images The preferred file formatfor displaying images on wireless devices
Wireless Carrier A company that provides wirelesstelecommunications services Same as Service Provider
Wireless Internet An RF-based service that providesaccess to Internet e-mail andor the World Wide Web
Wireless Internet Portal Web services that let userscreate a personal Wireless Internet experience
Wireless Markup Language The language used tocreate Web sites accessible by wireless devices
WML Refer to Wireless Markup Language
WMLScript Web programming similar to JavaScriptwhich allows the wireless user to see certain Web content
wwwgetconnectedcom
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How to Use theGetConnectedcomWeb Site
209
Appendix B
165_cell_CApxBqk 111401 444 PM Page 209
210 Appendix B bull How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site
IntroductionThe GetConnectedcom Web site was created to provide you with awide choice of up-to-date plans that are available in your area for com-parison and purchaseWe have created a variety of online tools to helpyou determine which plan will work best for you Itrsquos like runningaround all over town and asking all your friends what they do but youcan do it all in less than 30 minutesWhether you are a first-time buyeror just looking for a better deal we can help you
Home PageWhen you go to wwwGetConnectedcom you will see our homepage (see Figure B1)We sell a variety of telecommunication servicesfrom wireless phones to high-speed Internet and long distance serviceClick Wireless
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure B1 The GetConnectedcom Home Page
165_cell_CApxBqk 111401 444 PM Page 210
How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site bull Appendix B 211
Enter the ZIP code for the place you will be activating service(see Figure B2) For most people this is your home ZIP code Forsome it may be your work ZIP code If you are moving and donrsquotknow your ZIP code yet you can choose a city and a state and see theplans that are available in the city
WHY DO YOU NEED MY ZIP CODEWireless services are available only in certain areas The plans thatyou can buy are different if you live in California than if you live inFlorida When you enter your ZIP code we search through all of theplans and show you only the ones that will work where you live
Wireless Home PageAfter entering your ZIP code you will see all of the options availableto you (see Figure B3) Feel free to browse around Everyone has dif-
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure B2 Enter Your ZIP Code
165_cell_CApxBqk 111401 444 PM Page 211
212 Appendix B bull How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site
ferent shopping stylesWe recommend selecting your plan your phoneand any accessories you might needAlthough we detail this shoppingprocess for you you could choose to start with a phone or a GreatDeal We will also provide some helpful hints on the tools that can helpyou make a decision
Havenrsquot Decided Which Plan Is for You Start HereGetConnectedcom offers a variety of tools to assist you in selecting theservices and phones that are right for youThese tools can help youfind exactly what yoursquore looking for online if you havenrsquot alreadydecided
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure B3 Shopping Options for Purchasing Wireless
165_cell_CApxBqk 111401 444 PM Page 212
How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site bull Appendix B 213
Lifestyles If you have only a general idea of how you woulduse your cellular phone this will be the most helpful tool foryou Based on the lifestyle you select the plans you see will benarrowed down to the ones that are in that usage range
Wizard This tool is best if you have a good idea of howyou will use your phone (maybe yoursquove had one before) or ifthere are features you know you needThe more informationyou provide the more specific the plans you see will be Ifyou want to see more plans back up and deselect informationand watch your choices grow
Bill Calculator Do you happen to have your bill with youWant to make a best guess Enter your peak minutes off-peakminutes long distance minutes and roaming minutes and thecalculator will show you which plan is the most cost effectivefor youThe result set you see will list all of the plans withyour calculated monthly bill estimate sorted by least to mostexpensive
Picking a PlanClick By Plans and you will see a complete list of all of the plansavailable in your ZIP codeThis list could contain between 20 and 100different plans showing each of the wireless carrierrsquos local regional andnational plan offerings It may seem overwhelming but we have builtsome features to help you trim the list down quickly to just your rangeThen you can compare the details pick the best plan and be on yourway to choosing a phone
NOTE
Some wireless carriers that you know in your area might not showup in the listing This may be because they have been unable toprovide us with accurate information
Browsing by PlansThanks to the highly competitive market place that wireless carriersshare you have many different features on which to base your decision
wwwgetconnectedcom
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214 Appendix B bull How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site
You can choose by monthly fee or number of minutes or wireless carrierbrand nameThe tools on this page are designed to help you select a planbased on the factors that are most important to you (see Figure B4)
Sort Buttons Click any of the sort buttons to sort theplans by the information in that column
Filters By selecting options within these filters you cannarrow down the plans to just what you want to see
Compare See a few plans that look good but you canrsquotquite tell why they are different Check the box next to theplan (up to five plans) then click the Compare button at thetop of that columnYou will be shown the detail level infor-mation for those plans side-by-side so you can pick the bestplan for you
Detailed Information To view additional information onany plan click either the plan name or the Details link
Promotional Information Click the promo icon to seeall of the promotions available with that plan
Phones Want to quickly see which phones are availablewith which plans Click the Phones link and you will see allof the phone choices available with that plan
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure B4 Shopping by Rate Plans
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How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site bull Appendix B 215
When you find the plan that is right for you click Add to Cart andyou will be moved seamlessly on to the next stepmdashchoosing a phone
Picking a Phone Once you click Add to Cart you will see all the phones available withthat plan Be aware that if you chose a plan because of its advanced fea-tures you will want to make sure the phone you are selecting also hasthat physical capability If you are intimidated by the price of thephone keep in mind that rebates or other promotional offers can signif-icantly reduce the cost to you
Although the number of phones from which you can select ismuch smaller than the number of plans you sorted through it can beequally intimidating if you arenrsquot exactly sure what you wantAs in thepreceding sectionldquoBrowsing by Plansrdquo we have built in some tools tohelp you narrow down your choicesAll of the filter sort compare anddetail tools are available in this section as well
When you see the phone you like click Select a Phone and youwill be shown more features of that phone Click Add to Cart andyou will be moved on to the next stepmdashselecting accessories
HELPFUL HINT
Most wireless carriers offer the same set of phones with all oftheir plans with the exception of some of the newest phones Ifthe kind of phone you get is more important to you than the planyou choose then you may want to start by picking a phone andthen choosing between the plans that are compatible with itwwwGetConnectedcom helps you shop this way too
Browsing by PhonesIf only a certain phone will do choose the By Phones selection fromthe left navigation bar or from the Wireless home pageThis page showsyou all of the phones available to you in your ZIP code from all of thewireless carriers (see Figure B5)
In the 3 Ways to Shop box you can either see all the phones inyour area or quickly drill down to your top priorityWhether it isNokia all the way or the smallest phone ever these links will take youto a list of phones (with pictures) where you have tools to help you
wwwgetconnectedcom
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216 Appendix B bull How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site
decideThese tools are the filter sort compare and detail toolsdescribed earlier
In the Top Sellers box we show you the top-selling phones foryour area so you know what everyone else is buying In the FeaturedProducts box we always show you the phones that our in-houseexperts think are a great value for the price Click the picture to gostraight to the detail page for that phone where you can get moreinformation
Choosing AccessoriesAll of the accessories that you will be shown are compatible with thephone that you have selected If you are interested in customizing yourphone so that you can rapidly charge the battery or change the face-
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure B5 Browsing by Phones
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How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site bull Appendix B 217
plate covers select your accessories here Click Add Accessories toCart and anything you have selected will be placed in your cart withyour plan and phone
If you are interested in buying accessories for gifts you can also buya phone accessory by itself Choose the By Accessories selection fromthe left navigation bar or from the Wireless home page (see Figure B6)As in the sectionldquoBrowsing by Phonesrdquo these links will take you to alist of accessories (with pictures) where you have tools to help youdecideThese tools are the filter sort compare and detail toolsdescribed earlier
In the Top Sellers box we show you the top-selling accessories soyou know whatrsquos popular In the Featured Products box we display avariety of accessories Click the picture to go straight to the detail pagefor that phone where you can get more informationAt any point thatyou find what you are looking for click Add Accessories to Cartand anything you have selected will be placed in your cart
wwwgetconnectedcom
Figure B6 The Accessories Page
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218 Appendix B bull How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site
Your Shopping CartNow you will see a preview of your selected plan phone and acces-soriesYou will also see a summary of the promotions available with theitems in your cartThese promotions will include promotions availablethrough your wireless carrier and exclusively through your retailer(GetConnected Inc) Click Checkout and you will be guided throughthe ordering process
Ordering at GetConnected IncOrdering on wwwGetConnectedcom is easy and secure All you haveto do is complete these few short steps
1 Begin Secure Check Out link
2 Your Order Information Collects the general informationabout you such as your name and contact information
3 Order Form Collects specific information that the wirelesscarrier needs to know about the plan you have selectedThispage is where you get to choose your contract lengths andother service options like voice mail
4 Shipping Options If you have selected accessories youwill be asked to choose your preferred shipping method
5 Place Your Order Final Confirmation If your creditcard information is required for a credit check or for chargesyou will enter that information hereThis page also confirmsyour purchases your totals and your promotionsYou mustclick Place Order to complete your order
6 Order Confirmation This page has your order number asummary of your selections and how you can contact us foradditional assistance if needed
After you have completed your order you will receive an e-mailright away that contains your GetConnected Inc order number a sum-mary of your selections and some specific information on what toexpect from the wireless carrier you have selected
wwwgetconnectedcom
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How to Use the GetConnectedcom Web Site bull Appendix B 219
wwwgetconnectedcom
WHAT IF I DONrsquoT LIKE TO ORDER ONLINECall 1-800-775-2506 and our Customer Care Team will completeyour order with you Although our ordering process is completelysecure we understand if you prefer not to put your personal infor-mation online
ChecklistFor the quickest way to order a phone follow these steps
1 Go to wwwGetConnectedcom
2 Click Wireless
3 Enter your ZIP code
4 Choose By Plan
5 Pick a plan
6 Click Add to Cart
7 Pick a phone
8 Click Select Phone
9 Click Add to Cart
10 Pick accessories for your phone
11 Click Add Accessories to Cart
12 Review your order selections and click Checkout
13 Click Begin Secure Checkout
14 Fill in your order information and click Continue
15 Fill in your service options and click Continue
16 Review your order selections for final confirmation and clickPlace Order
17 Get your brand new phone
165_cell_CApxBqk 111401 444 PM Page 219
165_cell_CApxBqk 111401 444 PM Page 220
221
Index10-10 service plans 1271900 MHz 16425G services 1943G (3rd Generation)defined 198devices and services 183 194
800 MHz 900 MHz 164
AAC battery chargers 111access fees defined 198accessoriesbatteries See batterieschoosing 15 216free 174phone jacks 61wireless phone 108ndash113
activation fees 127 198Advanced Mobile Phone Service
See AMPSadvantagesof CDMA 34of digital phones 27
air interface defined 198airtime defined 198Alltel 135 150alphanumeric display messaging 198America Online Internet portal 50AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone
Service)defined 198history 6 24ndash25frequency reuse plans 32
analogdefined 198technology described 24ndash25
analog vs digital 6comparisons 26
features capacity 32introduction 22summary of differences 29 182ndash83
antennasdefined 198wireless phone 59
architecture of GSM 35area code defined 198Argentina wireless carriers in 168ATampT first mobile phone service 23ATampT Wireless 135national network (fig) 140 147prepaid plan 129roaming options 162sample coverage maps (fig)
137ndash38ATampT WorldConnect Service 166Australia wireless carriers in 168automatic call delivery defined 199automatic redial 62
Bbandwidth defined 199base station defined 199batterieschargers 111ndash12dead 192level indicator 63life digital phone advantage 27NiMH vs Li-Ion 183talk and standby time effects 80types 113wireless phones 61
belt clips 109benefitsof ESMR 37ndash38of GSM 35ndash36of TDMA 37
165_cell_Indexqk 111201 432 PM Page 221