Time, Money & the Web

Moving up to the mobile wireless Web involves questions about billing, airtime and upgrading to the proper equipment.

Verizon Wireless Total Hold Time: 1 minute

Transfers/IVR Layers: 4

CSR: Thank you for calling Verizon Wireless. How can I help you?

WR: How would I be billed for wireless Internet service?

CSR: The Mobile Web? You get it free for 90 days. After 90 days we start charging $6.99.

WR: What do I get for $6.99?

CSR: Access to the Internet. You can set up your own Web page, get your alerts for sports, horoscopes, basically just like the computer on your phone.

WR: Can I get my e-mail?

CSR: Yes.

WR: And it only costs $6.99?

CSR: $6.99 a month after 90 days.

WR: And then I'm not charged extra for airtime?

CSR: If you are on it, and someone sends you an e-mail, it's just like an incoming call. It's going to go against your airtime. If you send one, it's going to go against your airtime.

WR: Do I have the right phone?

CSR: I see you have an Audiovox. What kind of Audiovox is it?

WR: Audiovox 4000.

CSR: You need the Audiovox 9000. I can transfer you to our upgrade department ... I am not sure if you would have to outright purchase another phone or if they would give you a discount because of the one you currently have. (Transfers.)

CSR 2: This is (name). How can I help you?

WR: I was talking to someone about wireless Internet service, and I guess I don't have the right handset, so is there some kind of trade in?

CSR 2: Yes there is; you can trade it in for one of our tri-mode phones. The Audiovox 9000 allows you to have Internet access. And then the Motorola 7868 phone is $150. Audiovox is $50.

WR: Do I get money back?

CSR 2: You don't get money back, but if you trade it in, they give you a discount off your current phone.

AT&T Wireless Total Hold Time: 4 minutes

Transfers/IVR Layers: 3

CSR: Thank you for holding. This is (name). How may I help you?

WR: I have a question about your wireless Internet service. Tell me more about it and how it is priced.

CSR: Are you talking about the Internet itself or seeing your bill?

WR: About PocketNet.

CSR: Service itself, depending on what you get, can start as little as $0 and goes up to $14.

WR: What do you get for zero?

CSR: Unlimited use of PocketNet ... hold on ... OK. (Reads aloud) Data not a part of AT&T Pocket-Net service will be billed at 5› a kilobyte. A kilobyte is about 160 characters. Cancellation fee for PocketNet is $0; there is no contract requirement for digital PocketNet. Airtime fee depends on digital rate plan.

WR: I don't understand what you said.

CSR: It is not giving me any good information here. I am going to transfer you over to PocketNet. (Transfers.)

CSR 2: Thanks for calling AT&T. This is (name). May I help you?

WR: I was interested in how you bill for PocketNet.

CSR 2: We actually have three plans available for the Internet. The first one is Basic, and there is no monthly rate on it. That allows you to browse all the Internet sites we have available. You can be on the Internet site on your phone as often as you want, as long as you want; it's not going to affect the voice side at all. So whatever your voice plan might be, you are not using any minutes. A lot of companies you are, but not with ours. The next plan is called the Plus plan. It is $6.99 a month, and that adds to the Basic plan sending and receiving e-mail. The next step up is Premium; it is $14.99 and that adds to the Plus plan a full-service Web page where you have contacts, calendar, to-do list, access to PIM applications.

WR: So I pay $14.99, no extra airtime?

CSR 2: Exactly. If you use your phone to tether, which is synchronizing cables to connect to your PC to allow the PocketNet phone to be used as a modem itself, AT&T is not supporting it; it's really slow. That is where you might get an additional fee.

WR: Is there a special phone I need for the Internet service?

CSR 2: We have two on the market, the Mitsubishi T250 and an Ericsson R280LX. I would go and take a look at them; they are very different.