Find the Right Network

Maybe you think buying a cell phone is nothing more than a matter of choosing a handset, either according to its features or its value as a fashion accessory. Guess again. You also have to pick a carrier, or provider. Every carrier in the USA offers a different selection of technologies and services. It’s important to think about your needs when choosing a cell phone carrier network. In fact, you’ll have to commit to a carrier before you can by a cell phone, because most providers offer only a limited selection of phones.

Cell phone carriers in the US operate over two completely different types of network: CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM (Global System for Mobile communication). Both technologies are fully capable of transmitting both voice and data, but they do so in different ways. Thus, they are completely incompatible with each other. The USA is predominantly CDMA, but GSM coverage is constantly improving. The GSM standard is primarily advantageous for people who travel a lot. If you travel a lot then you can get your phone “unlocked” so it will work with any carrier. Then, when you arrive at your destination country, you can buy a phone number—and a chip—at almost any phone store or minimart. It’s the cheapest way of having a cell phone when you travel.

North America is different than in most of the rest of the world. You can move your phone number from one provider to the next quite easily. However, chances are you won’t be able to take your phone along with you when you switch. Most phones are sold to you by the mobile network when you sign up for service. The reason for the incompatibility is simple—mobile network providers want to keep making money from you. They make it hard to switch. In spite of all this, cell phones have just about moved out of the ‘want’ category and into the ‘need’ category.

Today’s cell phone networks offer many services beyond the ability to make calls. Many phones allow you to access your email, provided the network coverage includes it. If you have kids with cell phones, they’ll probably install games on their cell phones.

There are approximately 200 million cell phone subscribers in the United States today. According to a 2005 survey published in Consumer Reports, about a third of them are so dissatisfied with their mobile phone service they are considering switching to another mobile network provider. Calls are dropped for no apparent reason, and spotty network coverage means that even in a major city, where you stand may make a striking difference in how good your coverage is—or whether it exists at all. You might have a strong signal in your living room and no signal in your bedroom. You’d think that the industry, as riddled with problems as it is, would be unable to survive—yet cell phones remain wildly popular.