How To Choose A Cell Phone Provider

• What type of cell phone coverage do you need? Do you travel across the country? Around the world?
• Where will you use the cell phone? People often say “I need my phone to work at the lake.” Is it really worth paying more money every month so your phone can work at the lake once per year?
• How many minutes per month will be used? The simple fact is, you are either paying for coverage or minutes (or your bill is super high). Which one is more important, coverage or minutes?
• What kind of features do you plan to use on your new cell phone? If you plan to use extras like internet or texting, be sure to purchase a plan to save money, as these can be costly a la carte.
• Is this cell phone for a child? They usually need more minutes rather than a larger coverage area.

Cell Phone Providers

A cell phone provider is the company that provides the cell phone service. Examples include: T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon.

Cell Phone Stores

There are two different types of cell phones stores:

1. The store that is owned by the carrier and
2. the type that is owned by a third party.
   Telling them apart is simple, the first store only sells service for one carrier and the other sells service for many carriers.

Cell Phone Contracts

There are two different types of service when you get a cell phone: contract and pre-paid. When you sign an agreement to have service for a certain amount of time you are signing a “Contract”. Generally speaking, you will have better service, better customer service, pay more for your minutes and get cheaper phones and accessories when you sign a contact.

Cell phone Service/Coverage

The most important factor is the quality of the cell phone service that you will get. A state of the art cell phone is not going to be very useful if you do not have an equally efficient service to go with it. The signal provided by the service should be clear and strong. Sometimes a cell phone has a signal in some areas of your house but not in all. A good idea is to try and take a trial and see if your service is satisfactory. You should also ask the carrier whether they have service in areas you visit periodically, like vacations and business trips. Choose a service that has cell towers covering your home and other areas you travel to.

Cell Phone Rates

As the competition in the cell phone market intensifies, cell phone companies are lowering their rates to attract new customers. So shop around. Usually cell phone rates depend on the number of minutes and the coverage area. If you want national coverage then you can expect to pay more than if you wanted only local coverage. Added features are going to cost you extra.

Cell Phone Plans

Check with different carriers to see what kind of plans they provide. You can choose from prepaid or a regular monthly plan. Also enquire about 'by the minute' and 'by the second' billing which can make a significant difference to your monthly bill.

And finally, review cell phone features including GPS tracking, Touch Screen technology, Multimedia texting, Speakerphone, Bluetooth technology, Internet capability, Instant Messaging and MP3 capabilities. These extra features can cost quite a bit more. Basic cell phones are available.

If you're wondering where you can find a good cell phone provider, you're sitting in front of the best tool available, your computer. There is no easier way to find an affordable cell phone provider than by doing some comparison shopping online.