Harold Hotham   September 15, 2008

www.comparevillage.ca

Wireless communications in Canada are a hot topic these days, particularly the costs of services.  The consumer can do something about it to voice their objections of course but more importantly, the consumer can reduce their costs of operation by simply defining what exactly they need from their wireless communications.  Most consumers buy into a plan blindly figuring they are getting what they need when in fact they may be paying for services they don’t need or use.

Begin by defining how you will use your phone. Will you:

v      Need only local service or need to travel with it?

v      Need voice only or is text messaging essential?

v      Need 100, 200 minutes talk time per month or unlimited usage?

v      Need only evening and weekend usage or 24/7 minutes on your plan?

v      Need a “walkie-talkie” from your phone?

v      Need internet access from your phone?

v      Need email access from your phone?

v      Need music and entertainment from your phone?

Notice that each of the above sentences began with one word; NEED.  There is a difference between need, want and desire.  The next question to any of the above is one word: Why?  WHY do you NEED that feature?

The cellular manufacturers are developing product that is driven toward the youth market.  The sales pitch is to that market in that as features are developed, they are marketing these as a need.  The question to be answered of course is: Is this feature a need or a luxury.  You will pay for luxuries and you will pay big money.  So, if it isn't a need, then don’t get hooked into buying a service you won’t use or, need to use.

This marketing thrust often shows up in “packages” the cell provider offers so the consumer often pays for what their actual needs plus the “extras” they really don’t need.  Often times businesses get caught in these packages and pay far more for their services than what is the actual need.  The other major factor businesses encounter is wireless usage outside of work.  This amounts to theft of the employer’s property yet few employers view it that way.

Once you have defined your needs then your wants, you can begin to evaluate the offerings of each provider.  Once set on who will be your first choice, you need to ensure you will get the geographical coverage you need.  This is where you can get severely hurt with roaming charges that act like long distance (in addition to those long distance charges) because your carrier doesn’t serve a particular area or you are outside of your “home area” you will be charged by the minute for accessing the system of another carrier or even your own.  These charges can add up very quickly and need to be a major consideration when determining how and where you will use your phone.

Talk to others using the provider in your areas of usage to see if calls are dropped or if the service is uninterrupted.  Are there peak periods your provider may not be able to meet the demand and thus send you roaming to another carrier?

Cellular is expensive but is it necessary, and if so, do you need all that is offered?  Define your needs first then act, not act and say “See what I can do with my phone?”  It could be unnecessarily draining your wallet.

As always, it is buyer beware so be wary before you buy, and only buy what you need.