AT&T Wireless — Boasting Practical Cell Phone Plans, Fun Ringtones

If you’re in the market for a cell phone plan, you’re undoubtedly confused and overwhelmed. And, while choosing a carrier for your service is the first step you should take, it is anything but the simplest!

In most major cities (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC), coverage is above average, although, like many cell phone users already know, once you venture outside of a major city, coverage can be anything but complete.

With strong plans that start at $39.99 per month (which will get you 450 minutes, as well as unlimited free nights and weekends minutes) and the smart new GoPhone (with prepaid calling plans, no required contract signing, free unlimited nights and weekends minutes, no credit check, no deposit), AT&T Wireless’ cell phone plans are sure to soon emerge as a leader within the wireless industry.

But what most AT&T Wireless customers are talking about is the AT&T Connect or Teleconcierge, where its operators quickly find numbers for any place, anywhere, offer reservation assistance, local movie times, even a call back to confirm your place at the restaurant of your choice. AT&T's Wireless customers can also enjoy event listings and daily weather choices.

Most recently, AT&T Wireless has begun to offer a new type of digital phone service called GSM/GPRS, which can provide true 56-kilobet per second Internet connection speeds for laptops hooked up to the GSM phone or a GSM plug-on card. Keep in mind, rates for this can be steep, with 400 voice minutes and a single megabyte of data transmission costing $50 a month (and the GSM phones available are not yet equipped to roam in the analog areas).

AT&T Wireless’ cell phone plans all offer free nights and free weekends, with plans available for up to 1,700 minutes per month (that’s a whopping 55+ minutes every day) for under $100.

But, if you’re looking for something that truly sets AT&T apart from other cell phone carriers, you will be impressed with AT&T’s Free2Go Wireless solutions, which is a prepaid wireless product that gives customers the freedom and flexibility to buy airtime only as it is needed, without any commitment. With this plan, you can finally say good-bye to monthly bills and there is no credit check, no deposit and no annual contract required for this service.

If this plan interests you, you may also like to know that it includes all the digital features most of us have come to rely on, including call waiting, voicemail, text messaging, caller ID, even AT&T ring tones.

A true convenience, the Free2Go cell phone solution can be shipped directly to you, all stored neatly in a single box, which includes your phone, a standard battery charger, a $10 free refill card, a hands-free set, user guide and service agreement.

This is different from the AT&T GoPhone Wireless service (although both services are based on prepaying, with neither requiring a credit check on annual contract) in that the GoPhone service includes free unlimited nights and weekends on selected plans, a broader choice of AT&T cell phones, even lower per-minute prices and upgraded features such as more AT&T ringtones choices. There is also a choice of payment options, and you can even set up your credit card or debit card to automatically make monthly payments when your account starts to get low.

The AT&T GoPhone plan also offers AT&T cell phone users international dialing rates with its standard International Dialing feature.

And, because AT&T cellular phones are a TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access, which is also used by Cingular) technology operator, analog roaming services are available in most places throughout the U.S.

About the Author

Kellie Fowler is an award-winning freelance writer who spends her winters in the U.S. and her summers in Canada, where she enjoys her 6 rescue pets, kayaking, fly-fishing, reading and writing. She is the owner of Write Solutions, a full-service writing company. Kellie currently freelances for several international groups and Fortune 500 companies, as well as well-known national magazines and newspapers.