Finding the right plan

With the addition of Web access on your wireless phone, you'll have a world of information at your fingertips. With just the touch of a few buttons you can view many of your favorite websites right on your phone's display in a format that is optimized for the smaller screen size. You'll also enjoy the convenience of instant access to e-mail, downloads, multimedia content, instant messaging and more. You can even access important files and documents or download large attachments. If you have a PDA or handheld device equipped with the applications you use most often, you'll be able to work on your documents directly from your phone. If your busy life demands constant connection, a plan with wireless Web access may be exactly what you need to keep up.

Once you've answered these, you're now ready to begin sifting through the wide variety of available plans.

Plan basics

There are two types of wireless plans you can select from, monthly and pay-as-you-go. Which one you choose will depend on your answers to the questions above. There are a number of features, such as voicemail and Caller ID, common to almost all plans regardless of which type or carrier you elect to use. It's important to understand how these features can enhance your wireless phone experience as well as how they may affect your bill. The number of minutes you need will be one of the key determinants in selecting a plan. While a minute may be technically defined as 60 seconds, your wireless carrier uses a different definition. Most carriers bill in one-minute increments and they consider any fraction of a minute used to equal a full minute. In other words, if you have a 20 second conversation, your wireless carrier will count it as a full minute. Carriers also define minutes in a number of different ways, including anytime, night and weekend, mobile-to-mobile and other designations. Learning how your wireless carrier breaks down the number of minutes you can use is essential for selecting the best plan for your needs.

Landline no more

One other major decision you'll need to make prior to selecting a wireless plan is whether or not your wireless phone will serve as your only phone. It's becoming increasingly common for people to forego a landline at home and choose instead to use their wireless phone exclusively. There are certainly advantages to doing so. Having only a wireless phone saves money and eliminates the need to remember to pay two separate bills. It also means you'll never miss a call and that you've always available no matter where you are.

If you choose to eliminate your landline, you'll need to make sure your plan can handle the duties of both home and on-the-go usage. It should have enough minutes to cover the extra time you'll spend on your wireless phone. You may also want to consider keeping extra batteries on hand so that your phone is usable at all times, particularly during emergencies. The other factor you'll want to take into consideration is access to 911. While wireless carriers are working to ensure that all users have access to emergency services, wireless phones cannot be fully relied upon at this time as a sure means of getting help.

Visit Special Offers, Savings Alerts and more, or Subscribe via RSS for up-to-the-minute alerts.