Good News. You'll Be Able To Keep Your Cell Phone Number When You Switch Carriers (1 Viewer)

[Matt Gordon]

By allowing customers to take their numbers with them, we probably will see intensified price wars in the industry, which will further weaken the financial health of the industry. And, if the companies are financially weakened, they will be forced to cut back investments in network capacity, which will lead to deteriorated quality of service. So, yes, number portability will probably lead to lower prices, but, remember, you get what you pay for, and service quality will most likely get worse (and isn't it bad enough already?)

That's a very respectable point, ToddR, but it could also reward carriers with better quality and service by bringing more customers in. Analysts in the Wall Street Journal on 6/09 said that Verizon Wireless (the nation's largest carrier) could actually gain market share because they are generally viewed as having the most extensive network and top-rated service (I have no idea where they get those figures). Also, T-Mobile is expected to aggressively pursue people who want to take their numbers with them.

So deregulation could lead to the best getting better and the worst getting worse. Which will lead to mergers and an even more extensive network for the bigger boys.

 

[David-S]

Also, Vodafone uses a different technology than the U.S. system that is advertising the prices you cite. Compare the European prices to US GSM plans.

actually most of the GSM providers are better than that..

T-Mo: 39.99 600 (unlimited N/W) 29.99 300 ( unlimited W)

AT&T GSM: Local-- 29.99 350 39.99 600 (free nights/weekends)

National-- 29.99 300 39.99 550 (free nights etc)

Of course, for the mobile user in Europe, incoming calls are free (the caller pays)

Maybe they're far more into text messaging because for them it's cheaper than calling?

 

[Brian Perry]

Of course, for the mobile user in Europe, incoming calls are free (the caller pays)

If this became reality in the US (and I'm not saying I've heard anything about it), would it impact telemarketing laws? I always assumed that you don't get telemarketing calls on your cell phone because it would cost you money to answer the phone. If they make it so only the caller pays, will we suddenly be bombarded with nuisance calls?

 

[Devin U]

Here in the US and Canada, our cellular useage is rounded to the minute. in Europe, it's per second. you make 10 calls each lasting 1 min 4 sec, in the us you are billed for 20 min (2 min per call). In Europe, you are billed for 10 min 40 sec. It really adds up over time. When I live in the UK, I had a 180min/month plan, and with the same usage over here, I need at least 500 min a month to stay within my minutes because of rounding up the minutes. Also, landline rates can be anywhere from .10 to .50 a minute within your country in Europe. As well, as mentioned before, they have calling party pays, so that saves minues. They used to have that in AZ, as my first cell phone was calling party pays (back in 95 on US West Cellular).

 

[Mark Leiter]

I see a very similar pattern with cell-phones and the internet. About 15 years ago Compuserve charged 12 an hour for internet service. Now you can get it for free if you dont mind the banners.

I bet in the next few years we'll see cell rates drop big time. With a little luck they will be about the same price as land lines. $20 a month free locals and a certine amount for long distance. Which will be the demise of land-line all together.

 

[Cees Alons]

There are several plans, some have you pay more fixed (and lower on call minutes - charged per second, BTW), some more per month and cheaper call minutes.

Yes, generally the caller pays. You pay more if you ring up a mobile phone (that helps keeping the costs of a mobile phone low, so generally this is considered bad, because I can't help that someone chooses to use a MP).

Just to give you an idea:
I have a rather conservative type of subcription and I pay € 18,95 / month.
During the "peak" hours, one pays more than during the "dull", "valley" hours:

Peak to landline € 0,15 / min.
Valley to landline € 0,09 / min.
Extra discount for longer calls:
30 mins, 10% off: € 0,13
60 mins, 20% off: € 0,12
90 mins, 40% off: € 0,09

Peak to mobile € 0,30 / min.
Valley to mobile € 0,18 / min.
Discounts again:
30 mins, 10% off: € 0,27
60 minuten, 20% off: € 0,24
90 minuten, 40% off: € 0,18

Any call add € 0,03 per call
SMS message: € 0,26

(Comparison: there's a subscription for people who don't plan to call often on it but want their mobile mainly to be to be able to receive calls. Subscription € 9,95 / month, "peak" call to landline € 0,30 / min.
Another plan is the PrePay card: you have to "load" money on the sim-card now and then, you pay no subscription fee, but peak to landline costs € 0.45 / min.
Note: 911 always works, even if your sim-card happens to be empty.)

Cees


PS: Think of the € as a $.
C.