PERSONAL TELECOM
Wireless costs have reached a critical juncture. Assuming you already have a cell phone, but don't use it all that much, it might make sense to cut the landline entirely and go 100 percent cellular.
In today's price environment, cutting the cord looks good for heavy telecom users whose talk time is weighted toward long distance. If, on the other hand, you tend to chat for hours with your friends across town, the major cell plans (like AT&T's OneRate and Sprint PCS) make less sense.
The main advantage to losing the landline, of course, is convenience – one number, no calling cards, no worries about missing important calls. Reducing the number of bills each month is a nice fringe benefit, too. The drag: When you're purely wireless, you're paying for all your incoming calls – which, at the very least, takes the fun out of phone tag.
Below are two scenarios: One profiles a customer whose calling is concentrated locally, the other whose friends and family are further afield. Strictly speaking, cell-only isn't cheaper for either caller, but it can come pretty close. In some cases, the extra amount you'll be paying (a convenience tax, basically) is only a few dollars a month. Find a deal with free weekends thrown in and there's little to stop you from saying bye-bye to the umbilical.
Easy Cell
| Local user| Landline plus cell| Cell only*
| Local: 45 min/day** | $20 | $135
| Long distance: 1.5 hrs/wk | $36 | $36
| Emergency cell | $30 | $0
| Penalty minutes | $0 | $31.50
| Monthly bill | $86 | $202.50
| nbsp;
| Long distance user| Landline plus cell| Cell only*
| Local: 20 min/day ** | $20 | $60
| Long distance: 3.5 hrs/wk | $84 | $84
| Emergency cell | $30 | $0
| Cost of unused minutes | $0 | $6
| Monthly bill | $134 | $150
- Assumes using Sprint PCS plan that offers 1,500 minutes for $150 a month, with extra minutes at 25 cents each. ** Dataquest estimate for unlimited local service. Both incoming and outgoing talk time.
| NEW MONEY
| Quote
| Roam Free
