Cell (Mobile) Phone Plan: Research your needs

In order to end up with the cell phone plan best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.

Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of cell phone plans are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a cell phone plan.

Research the market: Cell Phone Plan essentials

The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the cell phone plan market. The range of options can seem overwhelming, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:

Service Provider: Do you already know which cell phone plan service provider you want to use? If already have a plan with a provider you may simply want to switch to a new plan. Or you may want to change to a new provider.

Plan Type: Do you know what kind of plan you want? In basic terms you have three options. Firstly, you can Pay As You Go with no contract so you pay for calls at fixed rates as you make them. Secondly, you can take out a Pre-Pay option where you load credit into your phone account to use as you wish. Thirdly, you can enter into a regular contract where you pay a specific amount (generally every month) to get plan benefits. These usually include an allowance for free calls or text messages but they can also be tailored to factor in other things as well such as downloads, Internet usage and emails, for example. You can also tailor these plans to your average usage if you want. You can arrange for free calls during the day, evenings or weekends depending on when you are most likely to make calls with all other calls charged at fixed rates.

Features: What do you need your plan to offer? You can arrange plans to suit the functions of your phone in most cases. So, you could, for example, tailor a plan to include things like Internet access, call waiting, call forwarding, calls abroad, voicemail, games and other downloads.

Coverage: What kind of calls will you make? Not all cell phone plan providers will give coverage everywhere so this is an important factor that you'll need to check. In general terms, you'll be looking at coverage such as local calls, regional calls, national calls and international calls. You can also sign up for certain coverage services with the option to expand them later if you wish with many service providers.

Cell Phones: Do you have an existing cell phone? Most call plans will give you a 'free' or reduced cost cell phone as part of your plan. It is possible to arrange plans, however, where you provide the phone and SIM card and you simply take the calls from the service provider. Or you can buy an unlocked phone and take it from there. For more information about buying a cell (mobile) phone, see the Buyz123 buying guide - Buying a Cell (Mobile) Phone.

Cost: How much do you want to spend on a cell phone plan? Costs vary widely. They will firstly depend on the type of plan you want. In some ways Pay As You Go and Pre-Paid plans are cheaper as you don't have a regular commitment to pay. However, actual call costs for these options will usually be higher than those offered under a regular contract. Contracts will usually offer you an element of free or reduced cost calls with other charges varying according to issues such as the time of day when you make calls, where you call and what you do with your phone and so on. You may also incur extra costs for things like international coverage.

Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself

Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a cell phone plan. For example, will you use the cell phone plan only for intermittent personal use or are you running a small business?

You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.

What kind of cell phone plan do I want?
	You can choose to commit to a plan contract, pre-pay, or to Pay As You Go.

If you've had a cell phone in the past how did you use it for?
	How many local, national and international calls did you make? How many text messages did you send? Did you send pictures? Did you download games or ring tones? Did you use any other phone features?

Have I used a cell phone plan before?
	If you have used a cell phone plan, work out what you did or didn't like about the cell phone plan. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient.

How will I use my cell phone?
	You might use your cell phone a lot or a little, just for calls and text messages, or at a particular time of day.

What kind of coverage do I need?
	You might use your phone abroad or just in your home region or country.

Do I have a cell phone that I can already use?
	You may have an existing cell phone that you want to add on to a plan or you could need a new phone.

How much can I spend on my cell phone plan?
	Probably the key question for most of us.

Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.

Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of cell phone plans and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.

Video Links

Finding The Best Cell Phone Plan
Comparing cell service plans, studying coverage information and other tips are key to choosing the best cellular phone deals, Terri Gruca reports. (3m 43s)