In this article we are analyzing the ups and downs of using Prepaid Cellphone Coverage.  The benefits far exceed the pitfalls but they are still important to note.

Prepaid Coverage VS Contracted Coverage

In the past prepaid cellphone coverage was always somewhat socially taboo, you always had to worry about where you could pay your bill and what kinds of coverage your cutrate plan would provide you, not to mention the horrible store hours and lack of payment stations.  This created an atmosphere where only four carriers were able to compete and cellphone prices began to rise.

Let me tell you people, thanks have changed! A few years back there was a court ruling against these big four carriers for Anti Trust concerns.  Each company had to dedicate a certain percentage of its infrastructure to companies known as MVNO's (Mobile Virtual Network Providers)  These newly created MVNO companies began selling "prepaid airtime" to combat the two year contract strategy of the big guys.  Here are the top dogs in the MVNO market...

• Simple Mobile - Tmobile MVNO
• Page Plus - Verizon MVNO
• H20 - AT&T MVNO

These companies offer nationwide cellphone coverage on networks that are the exact same size as the big boys and at a fraction of the inflated price most of us still pay each month.  When you are purchasing prepaid cellular airtime you are not making any payments towards a cellphone you may have been given when you signed up.  You just pay for the airtime and skip all the bells and whistles.  This all seems to good to be true and it almost is but there are some downsides to using a prepaid cellphone carrier.


Locating a store when you need a new phone

Most cellphones come with some sort of carrier restriction applied to them.  You need an unlocked or "flashed" cellphone to connect to these providers.  Locating a cellphone professional can be expensive and time consuming if you aren't prepared for it.  Many shops only specialize in one or two carriers and the skill levels of the people employed widely vary.  The internet has several tutorials for the various handsets that are out there, each phone differs in what is required to make it open to other carriers.  Youtube can very helpful if you have the time and technical knowhow.


Solution

Look to Backpage.com or the better business directory for the creme of the crop in the cellphone repair category.  It takes alot of work to get established and that shows that there is going to be a good level of experience under the roof as well.

Spotty Service in Rural Areas
When you are getting charged for roaming on a contract plan you are incurring debt on your bill.  When you are prepaid there is no way to incur any debt and many prepaid carriers do not offer service in the areas that require any roaming charges.


Solution
If you are living in an area that sees alot of roaming charges you may want to test drive a "backup phone" for the first month of service.  This way you can compare the two lines and feel confident you will have the signal when and where you need it most.  If you live in a large metropolitan area you most likely wont have to do this.


The best part of it all is that you can keep your phone as well as your phone number when you make a switch to a prepaid carrier.  You get cheaper rates, identical coverage areas and the freedom to change phones, plans or carriers whenever you wish! Do you want to learn more?  Check out this website, we could write a book about how you can save money  on your cell bill.


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