Let’s Compare Wireless Carriers                                      

We’ve listed the five carriers in order or relative overall performance below, because we feel a carriers performance is most customers primary consideration when first considering a carrier.  However, if you tend to travel a lot internationally or through backwash rural areas of the United States, the type of network that your carrier uses and the way you use your phone maybe worth examining as well.  After the list below you will find our suggestions if you’ve decided to change your carrier and you want some advice on how to go about this complicated process.

VERIZON WIRELESS

How good - consistently a top performer in customers surveys by independent sources like Consumer Reports and in our own independent surveys.  Always among the better national carriers in responsiveness to customer questions, inquiries and complaints.  Networks – CDMA and analog.  Verizon offers analog access on only a few of its new phones, which could mean less coverage in some rural areas of the country.

ALLTELL

How good – Alltel has been a consistent top performer in all three metro areas where they have sufficient data to rate it, but only three of course.  Notably good for both connectivity and customer service in all areas, including helpfulness in responding to questions, inquiries or complaints.  Networks – CDMA or analog.

T-MOBILE

 How good - A solid consistent performer in all the metro areas where there is sufficient data to rate their service, but marred by lack of service in some places.  Also ranked among the better providers in responsiveness to customers questions, inquiries and complaints.  Networks - GSM only.  Most of its phones can be used outside the United States because of this fact though. 

CINGULAR

 How good - Middle to low levels of consumer satisfaction with sound and voice quality.  Static and busy circuits were common problems, as they have been in previous surveys conducted.  Relatively low performance for helpfulness in handling customer questions, inquiries and complaints.  Networks – Primarily GSM, some TDMA and analog.  Most GSM phones can also be used in many parts of the world. 

SPRINT

 How good – One of the poorest performers in terms of overall performance and customer satisfaction.  Had more dropped calls than other carriers in all situations?  Sprint merged with Nextel in 2005, and out results do not include former Nextel customers or those who receive Nextel service from Sprint, because their phones operate on a different network than Sprint customers.  Networks - Sprint uses CDMA but can roam using analog.    If you’re ready to switch to a different cell service provider, here’s how to find a carrier more likely to meet your personal standards:

If you live in a major metropolitan area focus your search on the carriers at the top of the list, in most of these population centres there are up to three carriers to choose from when making your choice.  To choose from the top carriers in your area, check the online coverage maps for each carrier at their Web sites, paying special attention to where you live, work and plan on traveling.  These on line maps can vary in detail and accuracy, so you should go one step further and ask people you know who travel, work and live on the same streets as you which carrier they use and if they get consistently good service.

   Depending on how often you use your cell phone while in rural areas or outside the continental United States, you’ll want to pay close attention to which network the carrier operates on.  The major digital networks are CDMA (code division multiple access) and GSM (global system for mobile).  The advantage of CDMA is that many CDMA phones incorporate analog backup for roaming in areas where a digital signal is unavailable.  Many GSM phones, however, provide coverage in other countries, a plus for those of us planning to spend a lot of time away from home.

  Once you choose a carrier, be sure to take advantage of the trial period most carrier offer.  If you find that the service is poor of nonexistent in places where you need it most, cancel that contract and try another of the highly rated carriers on the list.

  If you’ve settled on a carrier, you can go directly to its Web site and compare the plans it offers.  As we’ve noted in the past, however, you might have to poke around a little to find the cheapest plan the carrier offers, or else call the carrier directly and ask.  Comparing plans of different carriers is relatively simple at Web sites like Letstalk.com (click on Service Plans, then compare).

  If the amount of shekels you spend is your primary concern, the best way to compare is on a per-minute basis.  For example, when we recently checked rates for Tampa, Florida, Sprint and Verizon were both offering 450-minute plans for $39.99 a month, or about 9 cents a minute.  T-Mobile offered 600 minutes for the same $39.99, or about 7 cents a minute. 

  If you only use your cell phone for roadside emergencies or make very few calls, consider a prepaid or “pay as you go” plan.  When comparing prepaid plans, pay special attention to what the carrier charges per minute, how soon minutes expire, and whether your minutes can be roller over.  Although we haven’t rated prepaid carriers, some of the major providers are T-Mobile, TracFone, Verizon, and Virgin.  You can buy prepaid phones and refill minutes at electronics and office supply stores, as well as online and in Canada online or at specified stores.

   Saying goodbye to your old carrier will be very easy if your contract has expired.  Just ask your new carrier to switch your existing (and, by law, portable) cell number to your new cell phone.  If however, you still have months or years to go on your contract with your current carrier, the switch is a little trickier, especially since you could be facing a whopping early termination fee.  If you’re desperately unhappy with your plan and carrier, you may want to just pay the fee and get them out of your life forever.  As much as we hate to admit it, paying a penalty of $150 to get out of a deal may be no worse then paying $50 month after month for service you’re not getting or drives you insane.  Well that’s it for this hub, join me next time as we will talk about the new fee-based features cell phone makers are adding to your friend and some things to pay attention to.  Happy talking!     

                                                       Internet Phoning Grows Up

 Recent surveys of customers using Voice over Internet Protocol shows increasingly happy customers, but nothing is perfect. 

  Tired of paying large telephone bills for traditional landline telephone service, looking for a little monetary relief from the onslaught of your progeny’s social needs and your wife’s marathon telephone sessions, take a look at the improved service of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).  Called VoIP by many users who are saving as much as $20 to $50 or more a month by using the service, it transmits your telephone calls over the same Internet network that delivers your e-mail messages.

  Providers of this service are telephone companies, cable operators, and newcomers such as Vonage but check in the area your using your service in to find the one that suits you’re need best.  Typically unlimited local and domestic long-distance plans cost around $25 to $40 a month, depending on your provider and services with you’re plan.  Just about all include telephone features normally seen, such as voice mail, caller ID, and call waiting and additional services not available with a landline, such as the ability to make local calls with your home phone number even when globetrotting thousands of miles away from your residence.

  The combination of price and services is heads above typical landlines, but does VoIP deliver on the promised services or is it just more hype.  Surveys conducted by industry specialists with individuals who have used this emerging technology for at least one year indicate customers are generally satisfied with the service provided.  Over fifty percent indicated their telephone bills had dropped and the level of service about the same as traditional landline service.

  Users indicated dissatisfaction with issues like the 911 emergency service so we suggest you keep your landline even if you opt for VoIP for day to day use.

  Around fifty percent of the VoIP consumers surveyed cited reducing local and domestic long-distance phone bills was the main factor in their decision to try VoIP.  Surveys indicated that around 80% of users with lower bills saved around $20 a month, and 34% saved over $40 or more.  Sound quality and unreliability were not an issue they had to live with to achieve the monetary savings provided by this emerging technology.

  Around 57% of those surveyed who used both VoIP and landline service reported Internet phone calls sounded at least as good as calls made on their traditional landline phone, while the other 43% said their landline always sounds better. 

  Half the consumers with VoIP and a landline reported no difference in their ability to make and receive calls reliably, but the rest were split down the middle in rating either VoIP or landline as the most reliable.

  Generally, users of both VoIP and a cell phone reported Internet phoning to have more reliable connections that their cell phone and comparable sound quality.  

  While many of those surveyed had no problems with VoIP, almost 33% reported at least one dropped call or difficulty making or receiving calls within a week of the surveys and some had occasional problems listening to callers or being heard by callers.

  The typically positive reports of VoIP user’s maybe piques your interest in buying the VoIP service, but here are a few things you should be aware of before signing on the dotted line.

  You will probably be moving to a new phone company that provides the VoIP service, some landline and wireless providers, such as AT&T and Verizon, offer VoIP service, but you’ll also encounter names you haven’t associated with telephone service.  Including cable giants like Cablevision and Time Warner Cable, as well as businesses that specialize in VoIP, like one of the largest mainstream VoIP providers Vonage, a VoIP only provider.

  The good thing about VoIP is you can use any standard touch-tone phone with the service, and the person you’re contacting doesn’t need special equipment or Internet access to receive your calls.  Typically you plug your phone into an analog telephone adapter, called an ATA, which you can purchase at a retail store near you for about $100 or less; some companies even provide one at little or no expense to the user.  The adapter hooks to a router or modem, which in turn connects up to the cable or DSL line that serves as your broadband connection.

  Only one phone needs to be connected to the VoIP adapter, but if you have more than one phone connected to the line you can use a cordless phone with several handsets or a multiple-jack device with the adapter.  You could use the existing phone wiring and jacks to plug your phones into the VoIP line, but only if your willing to give up your landline, which we don’t recommend just yet.

  You might be able to have your landline phone number reassigned to the VoIP line you’re planning on using, but only if you cut your landline service and as we said this is not recommended.  It will take a few weeks for the transfer to go through, so you’ll be using a temporary number during the transition period.  The only exception to this rule is if you’re using a broadband access is through DSL, in this case you may have to keep your current number for that line and get a new number for the VoIP line.

  If you would rather have a new phone number with your new VoIP line, you can usually choose the area code yourself. 

  Like any service VoIP has its drawbacks it clearly isn’t for everyone, some of the reason indicated for not using the service are.  It requires a broadband Internet connection that can cost up to $30 to $45 if you have in installed so you can use VoIP.  You will need to know the ins and outs of a computer to get VoIP up and running, about 40% of those who installed it themselves reported problems and even experts can have problems.  They said it took them more than two hours to install, several return visits or even some replacement hardware to get it up and running.  If you lose power or you’re internet connection at your residence your VoIP phone won’t work, we suggest buying a backup battery that will provide about four to six hours of talk time.  Security is an issue with any emerging technology using the Internet because of the risk of vulnerability to viruses, hackers, and denial of service, but no incidents have been reported so far.

  The bottom line indicates the need to deal with potential problems associated with the phone service to make it work, but VoIP will increase the time you can talk on the phone, save you shekels on you’re phone costs and add useful features not seen on with typical landline phone service.  We urge you to keep a corded phone requiring no power and a traditional landline for emergency situations if you do opt for the VoIP phone though.

                Cordless Phones with Features That Count

                                         Cordless phones still have their uses around the home 

  The cordless phone has been relegated to the back benches of communication lately with the arrival of so many space-age, all-in-one, communication devices designed to keep you in touch with your world no matter where you are.  In the previous hub “Cordless phones evolve in a new Cell Phone World” we discussed the uses and reasons to keep your cordless phone around the house or office.  Today we will be talking about the features cordless phone manufacturers are adding to the new cordless phones being sold in an attempt to keep your old cordless phone around the home.

  The following list of features contains some of the most important cordless phone characteristics you’ll want to look at in deciding upon which cordless phone and/or answering machine to purchase.  If you don’t see a feature you thought might be included with today’s new cordless phone, it probably means it hasn’t been included and you should start building support for your feature so manufacturers will include it in the next generation.

THE PHONE

Chain dialing is a feature allowing you to access a previously programmed number in your phone book or speed-dial memory and dial the number while you’re on the move or during a call.  This is convenient for calls during which you need to retrieve a calling-card number or use an authorization code to complete the call.

Power backup is a feature available on some cordless phones that allows you to use your cordless phone during a power interruption of household AC power.  This is done with a base compartment used to charge a spare handset battery during emergency situations like power outages.

Caller ID alerts is a feature allowing the user to link caller ID data to distinctive audible alerts to help identify the caller.  Other models flash different colors depending on the caller ID to identify the caller if you’re not able to actually go over and view the number.  The name talking caller ID is self explanatory, allowing you to determine who is calling you without actually viewing the display, but you will need to subscribe to caller ID service to use the feature.

Handset-to-handset talk is a feature found on digital multiple-handsets cordless phones, allowing you to conference handsets from one base.  Some models also function as walkie-talkies outside the home, but we suggest using them within a few hundred meters at most and around the yard.  Multiple handset cordless phones lacking this capability won’t allow outside callers to be included in your handset conferences though.

Side volume control is a feature on handsets that allows the user to adjust the volume during a call.

Speaker phone is a hands free feature allowing you to talk to a caller by speaking into a speakerphone on either the handset or the base.

Base keypad is a feature included with most models that have a speakerphone that allows you to make calls without using the handset.

Wireless-network-friendly capability is a feature in some cordless phone that uses portions of the 2.4 GHz frequency band that are less likely to interfere with or be interfered with by wireless home networks.

THE ANSWERER

Advanced playback controls are a feature on digital cordless phones used for fast or slow playback or rewind, this feature makes it easier to retrieve wanted messages.

New-message beep is a feature that responds to new calls by beeping until you notice and take a look at who called.

Mailboxes is a feature that comes with one mailbox with most answering machines, although some models do come with up to three mailboxes that allow family members to retrieve only their calls or to separate business and personal calls into separate mailboxes.

Remote handset is a feature that allows you to listen to messages from a handset if you require privacy; on a few of the models this feature also allows you to access other answering machine features remotely as well.

DIGITAL ANSWERING MACHINE

  Digital answering machines come as stand-alone devices or as part of a phone/answerer combination unit.  The combination does reduce clutter but has to be measured against the loss of one part if the other doesn’t work when you need it to.  Answering machines usually have standard features and capabilities such as a selectable number of rings and a toll-saver, on/off control, call screening, remote access from a touch-tone phone, and a variety of ways to navigate through your messages.  Most have a message day/time stamp, can delete all messages or just individual ones, allow you to adjust the speaker volume, and can retain messages and greeting after momentary power outage.  Consider features like the number of mailboxes included, advanced playback controls, remote handset access, conversation recording, a counter display that indicates the number of messages received and a visual indicator or audible message alert that lets you know when you have new messages.  In the models tested we found good voice and sound quality for recorded messages and greetings, some even allow you to listen to your greeting through the handset, allowing you to a better indication of how the greeting sounds to callers.

  Well that’s it for this hub, join us next time when well discuss how to choose between the models available on the market.  Happy hubbing!

Price: $20 to $80 for stand alone units; $30 to $240 for combo units.

Cordless Phones Evolve in a New “Cell Phone World”

Your cordless phone may look like a relic from forgotten ages next to you’re cell phone, but it still has a place in the homes of today. 

The cordless phone you used for years is changing to maintain its usefulness in a world embracing the cell phone at a feverish pace.  Many are evolving to the cell phone environment by letting you make and take calls on your cell-phone account, while others attempt to increase customer satisfaction by using techniques to reduce or eliminate the interference caused by home networks and other wireless devices around your home.  Many of these new coreless phones are just starting to appear in the marketplace and are representative of only a few examples we looked at in our survey.  If you’re looking at purchasing a new cordless phone right now, the ones we’ve looked at may not be on top of your list, given the sparse selection and comparatively high prices.  Despite this let’s take a quick look at what you’re likely to see in the near future.

Bluetooth enabled phones allow some cordless models, ones that are able to connect into cell phone service using wireless Bluetooth technology, to take and receive calls over either service.

1.9 gigahertz cordless phones, called DECT phones (digitally enhanced cordless telecommunications), solve the interference problem caused by devices all sharing the same 2.4 GHz frequency band by using the 1.9 GHz band, reserved originally by the Federal Communications Commission exclusively for voice-only applications.

Clearing up those wireless interference problems in your phone environmentMany wireless products, such as cordless phones, home networks, and baby monitors, share the same 2.4 GHz radio frequency bands when in use.  As a result, they’re likely to interfere with each others normal operation and performance.  Interference can cause static on a cordless phone, a baby monitor, and wireless computer networks and often in wireless speaker systems.  If you want to minimize the possible interference in the wireless systems operating in your home the following three suggestions should help you keep this to a minimum.1.       When you purchase any item, not just cordless phones, make sure you can exchange the phone, in case the interference is persistent no matter what you do.2.       Make sure you choose a cordless phone that operates on the 5.8 GHz, 1.9 GHz, or 900 megahertz band.  These frequencies are not as pervasive as 2.4 GHz devices and are less likely to cause or receive interference in the wireless environment in which you use your cordless phone.  If you’re looking for a multiple-handset capable cordless phone with handset-to-handset talk capability, choose a cordless phone that uses only the 5.8 GHz or 1.9 GHz band.  By comparison, nearly all phones using 2.4 GHz digital spread spectrum (DSS) technology and those that allow handset-to-handset talk may create interference in the wireless environment, some even while there in standby mode.  DSS cordless phones advertised as “802.11-friendly” are unlikely to interfere with wireless computer networks, but depending on the set up and the devices involved could cause interference in other wireless devices.  Whenever you notice, make sure to keep a 2.4 GHz analog phone out of the kitchen area, if possible.  This is because microwave ovens can cause interference in these cordless phones when in operation.3.       One of the simplest, yet hardly ever remembered ways to solve a lot of interference problems around the environment is to simply change the channel of your wireless product.  Almost all wireless products allow the user to change channels while in operation to solve interference problems in the operating environment.  On most it’s as simple as pushing a button or sliding a switch in a certain direction. 

  If you’re just looking for a conventional cordless phone for your home or office, there’s a bit of good news to report about these devices as well.  The price of these devices has been dropping significantly in the last year or so, dropping about 10% over the last thirteen months, with the largest drop among the digital cordless phones sold.

  The names of the companies making cordless phones will be familiar to many of you, AT&T, GE Panasonic, and VTech account for the majority of the models on the market.  VTech currently owns the AT&T Consumer Products Division and now makes cordless phones under the umbrella of the AT&T brand name as well as its own.

  The most recently sold cordless phones include models that support two or more handsets with a single base, including less expensive 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz analog cordless phones and full-featured 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz digital phones for a few more shekels.  Of all the cordless phones we looked at about a third included a digital answering machine in the package, so take a close look at the capability of any cordless phone your considering purchasing.

  That’s it for now on cordless phones; join us for the next hub in this series where we will discuss the features available with the cordless phone you’re going to purchase.