Smith said the coverage depends on where the carriers put their towers and where they are pointing. Each carrier has different tower locations pointing in different directions. Test your coverage within the 30 day return period. “Take full advantage of that 30 day time period that you have to make that decision before you’re locked into that contract,” said Smith.
Other factors that can interfere with reception are the construction of your house and radiant barriers in the attic. Metal roofs are a particular problem. David Moore cited The Woodlands as an area that was a challenge for carriers to provide service. The Woodlands has restrictions on the placement of towers with a density of trees that interfere with the weaker signals.
Cory Smith and David Moore were featured on a recent Homework Houston radio show and talked about coverage, rate plans and telephone handsets. Smith and Moore are executives with Total Choice Communications, a local wireless retail and business company that features Sprint and Nextel phones.
Do you have the right plan? David Moore suggested looking at a 3-month average of your telephone bills to determine your usage. “Don’t pay for minutes you’re not going to use,” said Moore. He pointed out that each tier of service is about $10.00 per month. Use the average to determine how many minutes to include in your plan. If you exceed your plan by $20.00 or more consistently, then move up to the next tier of your plan to save money.
Cory Smith suggested utilizing the 7:00 p.m. night time feature. “I’ve done the math,” said Smith. “It adds 2,400 minutes to your plan each month at no charge.” The unlimited mobile to mobile feature saves money as well as family pooling. “Ask your provider about free incoming calls,” suggested David Moore. “That can save you a lot of money particularly if you make fewer calls than you receive.”
Do you have the right phone?
Finding the best phone is a matter of a little research and asking a few key questions. Check the ratings (on the internet) for clarity and battery life. David Moore also suggested talking to the service representatives at the wireless company you’re working with. “Those guys get the complaints,” said Moore. “They know the phones and which ones work best on their system.”
What phones do professionals use?
David Moore uses the Blackberry 8830 from Sprint. He said it’s the one device that provides the most consistent and reliable e-mail service. Cory Smith uses a Blackberry for e-mail and the Nextel 880 as his primary telephone. Smith regularly communicates with 30 close business associates and uses the Nextel Direct Connect feature to reach them quickly while avoiding voice mail.
Smith also likes phones made by Sanyo. They are made specifically for the Sprint Network and perform well on that service.
Both Smith and Moore agree that the wireless phone will replace the laptop computer in the near future. While voice recognition software is a few years away, Moore cited technology that projects a virtual keyboard onto any flat service making data entry much easier. Wireless phones will also be able to project the tiny screens to a much larger size making the phones more adaptable to the functions of a laptop computer.
Total Choice Communications has 10 retail locations throughout the greater Houston area. Total Choice is the number one retailer of Sprint and Nextel phones and maintains a staff of business consultants to help companies communicate better with employees and minimize the cost of business wireless service.
Total Choice Communications: 713-462-9966
Web link:
www.total-choice.com