Taking Prepaid on the Road

Prepaid has made wireless services accessible to customers who, for various reasons, do not sign up for regular plans. But do these prepaid-wirelessn users have access to the increased mobility that roaming enables?

Southwestern Bell Wireless Total Hold Time: 0 Transfers/IVR Layers: 2 CSR: Thank you for calling Southwestern Bell Wireless. This is (name). How can I help you?

WR: I'm taking a cross-country trip, and I don't have cellular-phone service. I want to use a prepaid phone while traveling. Does your company offer a prepaid service that allows this?

CSR: No. With prepaid service, there is no roaming. You have to stay in your home area.

WR: Is there any way I can do what I'm planning and have cellular-phone service?

CSR: Yes. You can get a phone. Let me get you to our sales department. They'll be able to give you more information about what the proper procedure is.

WR: I just wanted information on prepaid. I didn't want to set up an account.

CSR: Well, with prepaid, you're not going to be able to use it nationwide.

WR: Do you know if they're planning on offering this in the future?

CSR: Not that I'm aware of.

Western Wireless Total Hold Time: 15 minutes Transfers/IVR Layers: 2 CSR: Thank you for calling Cellular One customer care. This is (name). How can I help you?

WR: I don't have cellular-phone service right now. But I'm traveling cross country soon and I wanted to use a prepaid phone for the trip. I'm wondering if your company offers prepaid services that will allow me to do that.

CSR: We do offer prepaid services. Let me go ahead and transfer you to somebody who knows a little bit more than I regarding that. Do you mind holding about two minutes for me?

WR: Certainly. Where am I going?

CSR: To somebody that's prepaid trained, because I don't know anything about prepaid. Just one moment.

Twelve minutes passed. Then the next CSR answered.

CSR 2: Thank you for calling Cellular One. This is (name).

WR: I'm taking a cross-country trip, and I wanted to use prepaid services. I'm curious whether I can access them in rural areas and what kind of services the company offers.

CSR 2: Sure. We're actually one of the few prepaid services that does allow roaming. You have to purchase one of our prepaid-cellular phones. There are only two prepaid-phone models that will work with our prepaid service. So you'll probably have to get a different phone. Once you get that phone, you then purchase an airtime card. The airtime cards work similar to calling cards. They give you a certain number of minutes for a set price. You can buy a card for $20, which comes with 45 units, $50 for 125 units, or $100 comes with 400 units. The way a unit works is if you're in the local calling area, you can call anywhere in the United States, and one unit equals one minute. If you then take the phone traveling, it's three and a half units per minute.

WR: My biggest concern is that I can use the phone for emergencies and have it work everywhere.

CSR 2: With our phones, your phone would work just about anywhere there's a cellular tower available. There may be some areas that are just so rural that there is no cellular service. But as long as there's cellular service, your phone should work.

Dobson Communications Total Hold Time: 0 Transfers/IVR Layers: 1 CSR: Thank you for calling. This is (name). How can I help you?

WR: I'm planning to take a cross-country trip. I'd like to use a prepaid phone for the trip, and I'm curious if I could do that.

CSR: Not with prepaid service. With prepaid service, you can't roam.

WR: Is there any other option besides getting your regular service?

CSR: Unfortunately, not with Cellular One. We would have to have a contract for at least a year. But if you buy prepaid, you can't roam. You'll have the ability to always dial 911 if you're in trouble, but you won't be able to make calls unless you have a credit card or something like that.