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Wireless Shopping Tips

Five easy steps to picking the right wireless service plan:

Choosing a new service plan for your mobile phone can be a daunting task, riddled with confusing questions and tough decisions at every turn. The issues to consider are many. How many minutes will you talk every month? How much do you want to spend? Do you go digital or cellular? Should you get the wireless Web? With so much to consider, mobile phone veterans and rookies alike can't be blamed for thinking about throwing in the towel. To help combat the service plan blues, here's a step-by-step guide on how to pick the right one.

Step 1: Run for coverage

Before deciding which service plan is for you, you need to first figure out where you'll be making most of your calls. Different types of plans--local, regional, and national--cater specifically to various needs. If you're just looking to place calls from your immediate area, get a plan that offers cheap, basic local coverage. Such plans are usually centered in an urban area or cover one state and charge extra for calls made outside of that area. Those who spend most of their time in a wider cluster of states might want a regional plan, which usually includes free roaming and sometimes even free long distance (which can be substituted with extra minutes) within a geographical region. Seasoned road warriors are best served by a plan that has a national footprint. These plans offer all of the advantages of a regional plan but on a nationwide scope.

No matter what plan you choose, you shouldn't expect the same quality on your wireless phone that you get on your home phone. Calls can get blocked or dropped, and depending on whether you choose a digital or analog plan (more on that later), you can't always find service anywhere you want. If you plan to talk while commuting, your signal will fade when you take an underground subway or train. Still, coverage is growing as service providers continue to build out their networks and technology improves.

Step 2: Digital vs. analog

Before you can pick and choose the features you want on your phone, you need to decide whether to go digital, analog, or both. First, a brief note on digital vs. analog: Analog plans usually cost more to make, but they allow you to makes calls from practically anywhere in the country. Digital-only plans are usually cheaper, but your calling activity is bound by the limits of the digital networks, which cluster around urban areas. Your best bet is to go with a digital phone that roams, meaning it can switch onto an analog network when you leave your designated calling area. Roaming charges can be pricey, though; if you plan to make or receive calls from areas not covered by a particular provider, you probably want to use a carrier with a national footprint that offers plans with free digital roaming. You can also turn off the analog capability to avoid roaming charges.

Plans, especially digital ones, will have a smorgasbord of optional features. Many providers will charge you for these value-added-services, such as voicemail, call forwarding, group calling, voice-activated dialing, short messaging (SMS), and wireless Web services--but they are just as often bundled as part of promotions, so keep an eye out for the combination that works best for you. Also, if you're getting these extras for free as a result of promotion, verify when you'll have to start paying for it.

Step 3: Avoid promotional pitfalls

It's easy to shudder at all of the fees associated with getting a wireless service plan, so it's important to understand what to expect.

In addition to the monthly service fee, most plans have a one-time service plan activation fee of around $25. This is occasionally waived as part of a promotion, but count on it being there. Additionally, you'll generally have the cost of the phone. There are quite a few promotions available, however, that will throw in a free phone--usually older models that are pushed to clear stock--if you buy a specific plan with a specific number of minutes. You may need to sign an agreement binding you to a particular provider for one or two years. If you do opt into a contract and want to break it, cancellation fees are usually steep.

Before signing up for a promotion, make sure that all aspects of the package suit your needs. You may get a free phone, for example, but end up with a more expensive plan than you originally wanted. If you aren't sure what you want, it's a good idea to start out with a cheaper plan and wait to see if you need more minutes. Any provider will allow you to bump up your minutes, but once you've entered into a contract at a certain price, it can be difficult to shift to a less expensive plan.

Step 4: Counting the minutes

How much are you going to use your phone, and when are you going to use it? It may sound obvious, but it's important to consider. Plans include monthly blocks of minutes ranging anywhere from fewer than 50 to more than 4,000. You need to watch out for the distinction between anytime minutes and night/weekend minutes. It can be easy to use up your anytime minutes and wind up with additional charges for daytime talking when you still have hundreds of night/weekend minutes.

Think about when you'll be making calls most and choose a plan that has most of its minutes during those times. Get a plan that's tailored for you rather than tailoring your calling habits to the plan. Most plans designate peak times (hours that use anytime minutes) as Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. At the moment, family-share plans (in which each family member is given access to a designated pool of minutes) are popular. There are also plans that offer blocks of bonus minutes for calling within the same carrier.

Step 5: To surf or not?

If you want to do more than just talk and store phone numbers on your phone, you'll want to sign up for wireless Web services. For starters, that means getting a Web-enabled digital phone (many new models have this capability). If you're serious about browsing the Web, you might want to look into more expensive phones or other devices that have larger screens and keypads. For those just looking to check the occasional sports score or movie schedule, any browser-enabled phone will do.

Web access packages are reasonably affordable--around $10 per month--and are usually priced in addition to the monthly service charge. But providers are trying to encourage customers for this relatively new service, so it's often possible to find it included in a plan. Keep in mind that time spent browsing the Web will use up your minutes. A final word of caution: Phone keypads can be a cumbersome way to enter text, and Web uploads are sometimes slow or inconsistent, so don't expect the performance quality of your home PC!