| Cell phones are not just for adults anymore... With | | | | members of friends and family that have Verizon |
| an estimated 16 million teens, pre-teens, and | | | | already. This is one of the important things to |
| children owning a cell phone of their own, selecting | | | | consider, ask the people you talk to on a regular |
| a cell plan for mom, dad, and child can now be a | | | | basis, what plan they have. Try to select a |
| veritable nightmare. The plan and coverage that | | | | company not only on price, but also on how often |
| was good for dad may not have been for mom | | | | you talk to people and what plan they have. |
| or teen or vice versa. With near endless options | | | | AT&T, formerly Cingular, offers the Family |
| and choices of air time, messages, and browser | | | | Talk plan. This plan offers unlimited mobile to |
| time, many families found themselves holding a | | | | mobile (M2M) calling (every member must be |
| different plan and provider for each person. | | | | enrolled in (M2M), it isn't any AT&T customer |
| Luckily, cellular providers saw a problem and | | | | since M2M is a plan option) you are automatically |
| offered a solution with the family package plans. | | | | enrolled with the Family Talk plan, free nights and |
| These plans have met, and exceeded, the need | | | | weekends, free long distance, no roaming |
| for convenient and inexpensive plans. | | | | charges, and all left over minutes will be rolled |
| Family coverage plans are a good option for | | | | over to the next month to be utilized and not |
| many families because most providers offer a | | | | simply lost. The basic plan begins with two lines, |
| plan that gives each family member a line with | | | | each additional line is then added with a low |
| their own phone number. The members of the | | | | add-on fee and is limited by what plan you select |
| family plan are able to talk to each other (on the | | | | and is for family members living under the same |
| cell phones) for as long as they want without | | | | roof. AT&T offers seven different Family |
| using their plans regular airtime, it also allows | | | | Talk plans that range from 550 anytime |
| members of the same family to share phone | | | | nationwide minutes to 6000 anytime nationwide |
| minutes, text messages, and browser time. | | | | minutes. Text and web browser options can be |
| Making the headaches of overages and keeping | | | | added as additional features for additional fees. |
| track of individual minutes and text messages a | | | | Sprint, or Nextel, offer the Sprint Power Pack |
| thing of the past. If members of the family use | | | | Family Plan. This cell plan includes, free nights and |
| less airtime or messages, those can be | | | | weekends starting at 7pm, free long distance, and |
| transferred, automatically by the plan, to other | | | | free mobile to mobile within your Power Pack |
| covered members. Family plans typically offer the | | | | Family Plan members. Sprint begins their family |
| convenience of a single bill and coverage | | | | plan with two lines and up to three additional lines |
| application for service, instead of each member | | | | for an add-on fee per line. They have four |
| needing to apply individually and the children and | | | | different plans ranging from 550 anytime minutes |
| teens probably needing a co-signer. Another | | | | to 3000 anytime minutes. Sprint also offers a |
| benefit of selecting a family plan is the reduced | | | | Sprint Power Pack Family- Direct Connect Plan. |
| cost of purchasing of the cell phones and | | | | Nextel Direct Connect offers all the same options |
| accessories. Most cellular providers offer package | | | | as the Sprint Power Pack Family Plan listed above, |
| deals on certain number of phones at a reduced | | | | but also free nationwide Nextel Direct Connect. |
| or even free rate when you subscribe to a | | | | The Direct Connect Plans vary from 700 anytime |
| particular contract. | | | | minutes to 3000 anytime minutes. |
| Nearly every cellular provider has some sort of | | | | T-Mobile has two different types of family plans. |
| family plan, but they vary on number of minutes, | | | | First, the Family Time Plan and it offers free, |
| text messages, browser time, price, number of | | | | unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes within your |
| lines allowed, and when the minutes may to be | | | | family, unlimited nights and weekends (based on |
| used (peak versus night) without penalty. | | | | T-Mobile's standard of nights and weekends). |
| SouthernLINC Wireless' family plan is called Family | | | | They offer four different Family Time Plans and |
| Reunion and they offer three different plans. Each | | | | each begin with two lines, and allow up to three |
| plan allows for unlimited member-to-member | | | | additional lines to be added for an add-on fee. The |
| airtime, unlimited long distance within plan minutes, | | | | minutes vary from the Family Time Basic plan |
| and caller ID. SouthernLINC Wireless offers two | | | | with 700 anytime minutes to the Family Time |
| basic plans to choose from and this includes the | | | | Ultra plan with 3000 anytime minutes. T-Mobile is |
| first number, then each additional phones and lines | | | | known for their My Faves plan, and they have |
| have an add-on plan and fee attached. The | | | | added My Faves for Families as well. This allows |
| number of add-on, or additional lines, is limited to | | | | each number on the My Faves for Families plan to |
| three (within the family, living at the same | | | | select five favorite numbers to get unlimited call |
| address). All of SouthernLINC Wireless' Family | | | | time too. If you select this plan, you do not get |
| Reunion plans are contingent on a two-year | | | | automatic free mobile to mobile to every |
| contract. | | | | member of your family plan, only if you select |
| Verizon Wireless simply calls their family plan, | | | | them in your "faves." The benefits to the My |
| Family Plan. They offer free mobile-to-mobile | | | | Faves plan are you can select numbers of other |
| calling to any Verizon Wireless phone, not just | | | | cellular carriers and even landlines. This plan offers |
| members of your Family Plan, no long distance in | | | | flexibility to stay within your plans minutes easily, |
| the United States or Puerto Rico, free night and | | | | if you are organized and know whom you will be |
| weekend minutes within plan guidelines of 9:01pm | | | | talking to the most on a regular basis. The My |
| to 5:59am on weekdays and 12:00 am Saturday | | | | Faves for Families offers four different plans with |
| through 11:59pm Sunday on all of their Family | | | | a slightly higher monthly premium than the basic |
| Plans. They then offer three different coverage | | | | Family Time Plan but with the same rules. The |
| plans to chose from: Basic, Select, and Premium | | | | plan is for two beginner lines and each additional |
| that each start with two lines, then an additional | | | | line, up to three, will be an additional monthly fee. |
| add-on fee per phone line added to the plan. The | | | | Similar to AT&T, text and browser time can |
| Basic Plan offers pay as you go minutes, texts, | | | | be purchased as additional features for each |
| and web browser time with 700 anytime minutes | | | | phone at additional charges. |
| for the members of the plan to share. The Select | | | | When you need to supply a cell phone for 2 to 5 |
| Plan offers unlimited text, picture, and instant | | | | people, the pluses usually outweigh the minuses |
| messaging, pay per use of web browsing, and | | | | when selecting a family plan. However, research |
| 700 minutes for the plan members to share. The | | | | and knowing your families specific cellular needs is |
| Premium Plan offers unlimited text, picture, instant | | | | very important. Make sure to select a plan that |
| messaging, as well as unlimited browser access to | | | | allows all members of your family a reasonable |
| all members of the plan, as well as 700 anytime | | | | enough airtime and text messages to avoid |
| minutes to share. With Verizon Wireless, the | | | | overage charges and penalties that decrease the |
| anytime minutes are just used when phones call | | | | bargain you thought you were getting. |
| landlines or other cellular companies phones, since | | | | *not responsible for prices quoted or plan details |
| they have unlimited Verizon Wireless mobile to | | | | as they constantly change. |
| mobile. This is a great option if you have many | | | | |