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Safety and Security:
Carry a cell phone wherever you go and help
will be just a phone call away, in some cases,
with the push of just one button. Many phones
can be traced to their general location,
you can be "found" if you want. |
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Cellular Can Save Seniors Money:
Cellular can be cheaper than a wired phone line, Long Distance charges can be Free, Charges
can be by the minute instead of by the month, some Seniors qualify
for cheaper plans or subsidized Lifeline service, Cellular phones come with most
Calling Features included and not as extra
charge items as with land lines. You could even use your old phones. |
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Cellular Does Not Need to Be Expensive:
There are numerous Senior Discounts on wireless.
Some cellular plans are
priced as low as
$10 per year. There are
many full-featured
plans with rates ranging
from $8 to $30 per
month. There are several
inexpensive Prepaid
alternatives which can
be set to "auto-pay"
whenever they run low.
Click Here to Get Information on Prepaid
Wireless.
Find Out How to Get FREE Emergency-Only Cellular
Service |
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Cellular Can Be A Low-Cost Alternative for
Making Long Distance Calls:
Most current cellular plans include Long
Distance calls for no extra charge. You still
pay for your cellular usage, but the charges
are based on the amount of time used, not
the distance. If you make a lot of long distance
calls, you might consider one of many "Unlimited"
options, including plans with "calling
circles", Nights & Weekends, Family
Plans, and other variations of Unlimited
calling. There are a number of cellular plans
that offer free international calling to
a large number of foreign countries. Also
see Cellular Charges by Time. |
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Cellular Charges by Time, Not Distance.
Many new cellular users, including seniors,
don't understand that wireless calls are
charged for the time you use the phone and
not where you are calling. You might hear
that cellular has "Free Long Distance",
but it means "Long Distance Free of
Extra Charges". You only pay for time
you use the phone. This expands your included
calling area to the entire US, and, in some
cases, many foreign countries. Parents with
children who live 'just over the line' for
free landline calls, can make cellular calls
to the kids as if they were next door. If
Seniors and their kids share a wireless plan,
there are NO charges for calls between family members. If you travel, "Free Roaming"
means "Free of Extra Charges for Roaming
Away from Your Home Area." Also see Cellular Long Distance Calls. |
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Friends and Family Can Help:
A wireless customer can add a phone to their own plan for a senior friend or relative for as little
as $10 a month. The senior shares the monthly
minutes and, in most cases, you can call
each other without any per-minute charges
at all. If the family subscribes to a 'Push-to-Talk'
plan, like that available from Sprint, one party in the family can call another
with the push of a button. |
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You Can Use Your Existing Wired Phones:
If you want to continue using the old phones
you're accustomed to using, several wireless
carriers offer a device specifically designed
to make your wired phones work like "normal"
home phones but using a cellular connection.
In most cases, they provide a unit that sits
on a table or wall and the calls are completed
by a wireless connection to the nearest cell
site. In most cases you can plug in all of
your existing phones, both cordless and corded.
You pay a monthly fee and, like a cellular
phone, all the popular calling features are
included like Unlimited Calls, both Local
and Long Distance, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding
and Voice Mail. This is not a new concept
but these units are now being offered by
the cellular carriers themselves with quite
reasonable rates...some as low as $15 per
month. Shop Here for Wireless Home Phone Systems. |
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Using Wireless Regularly Is Smart:
Making a few calls every month helps you
get comfortable using a cellular phone and
makes it much easier to use in a stressful
or emergency situation. Schedule a wireless
call, say, once a week to a friend or relative,
your voice mail, or a call to one of many
information services available. |
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Wireless Phone Suppliers Accept Returns:
Most wireless companies realize you may have
some difficulty using your phone once you've
had a chance to experience the service at
home or ion places where you visit. They
all offer some kind of return privilege,
including a complete refund should the service
not work out. Make sure you know what their
policy is in advance. They range from 14
to 30 days for a complete refund on the handset,
but expect to pay for any time used making
calls. This is helpful for customers who
want to purchase their phone online.
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You Don't Need A Contract:
There are many choices among among wireless
services that don't require a contract, most
of them are for Prepaid plans. Check out
recommendations for Prepaid Wireless. Some carriers charge more for no-contract
plans but a few, like T-Mobile, charge less.
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Get Untied From Your Computer:
You can access your email, participate in
online social connections and search web
information without being confined to a specific
location in your house. Feel free to use
this wireless connection at home or while
you're away. With a data-capable phone you
can access all those features right in your
pocket. Be sure your phone has an appropriate
data plan. Consider this: many customers
have replaced both their home phone and their
home computer with just one "Smart"
phone! |
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There are several methods to get Free, or
nearly Free, cellular service. One of them
could work for you.
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Prepaid Cellular
There are real Prepaid wireless plans than
can cost about $1 a month and maybe less!
One of these plans can be renewed for as
little as $10 per year and the minutes don't
expire for the whole year. One plan is offered
by T-Mobile and is available in most of the
US. Get More Details. |
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LifeLine Plans:
Most carriers offer a government-subsidized
"Lifeline" service at a significantly
reduced cost. Lifeline support lowers the
cost of basic, monthly local telephone service
and can be as low at $1 per month. An eligible
customer may receive the Lifeline discount
on either a wireline or wireless connection,
but the discount is available for only one
account per household. Lifeline discounts
do not apply to taxes or surcharges, and
don't relieve the account holder from paying
the monthly bill. Details on how to sign up are Below.
Qualifications to receive Lifeline discounts
vary by state. The qualifying programs are
either determined by each state's Public
Utility Commission or the federal Lifeline/Link-Up
program. Some states and U.S. territories
do not provide state-funded discounts, but
in most cases, an individual is eligible
if he or she participates in one of the following
programs:
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
or Section 8
- Food Stamps
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP)
- Medicaid
- National School Lunch Program
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Old Age Pension (OAP)
- Aid to the Blind (AB)
- Aid to the Needy (AND)
- Aid to Children
- Residents of Tribal Territories*
*To receive Lifeline discounts in Tribal
territories, you must reside on land that
meets the Bureau of Indian Affairs definition
of a reservation, specifically any federally
recognized Native American tribe's reservation
within an eligible carrier's coverage area,
based on the zip code of your home address.
In addition, a consumer may be eligible if
household income is at or below 135% of the
Federal Poverty Guidelines. If you qualify
for Lifeline based on income guidelines,
you will need to provide current documentation
that shows your household income. Contact
your chosen carrier for details.
How Much Does it Cost?
Lifeline services range from Free to $30
per month. Don't confuse Lifeline plans with
"senior" plans that are offered
by some companies. Lifeline is supported
by government subsidies.
To Sign Up For LifeLine Service:
If you qualify, you can contact wired and
wireless telephone companies and ask about
"Lifeline" service. You can shop
among the programs to see which one will
give you the best offer. In addition to your
local telephone company, you can call the
wireless carriers that serve your area. We
have a list of wireless carriers shown by state. Not all carriers provide Lifeline service. |
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