This would be cool!

[xtoddler2]

In Europe many wireless plans, charge to call other networks, charge for all outgoing calls, but dont charge for incoming calls. Some networks charge only for day, and some only for night, there are some that charge for BOTH. I think that we could use some of the plan ideas from Europe and implement them here in America.


This is a list of things I think we should do in America...

Change the 9PM night calling time, back to 7PM or 6PM
Change the 7AM day calling time, to 8AM

Rid "Home Coverage Area" and make all plans "National" so people can call from anywhere on the network, to anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and ALL US Territories, and Canada (included in minute price). This rate would have to include long distance as a standard option.

First Incoming Minute Free, since the US and Canada, have Mobile Party Pays, not Calling Party Pays..(even have it for a small fee if needed be)

Chose packages with more minute increments. These minutes included will carry over to next month, if any remain.

Per second billing, after the first minute, per second billing takes effect. Unused portions of minutes, are applied to future calls.

Unlimited airtime free nationwide calling on holidays. All National Recognized holidays, outgoing calls (international excluded) are free, and all incoming calls from anywhere are free of airtime charges.

Unlimited Mobile to Mobile calls to all networks are included in plan minutes.
Long Distance is included for every minute in this plan.

Long Distance included on ALL minutes (international excluded). Includes 50 States, US Territories, and Canada.

One most called number, unlimited airtime free calls. This number can be a friend, mobile, or home number, all calls to OR from, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE on the network are always free of airtime charges (International Excluded).

Expanded Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting/ID, 3-Way Calling, and Call Forwarding, E-911, Directory Assistance 411 ($0.50 per 3 numbers, locations, reservations), Voice Calling, are all included. Calls Forwarded to international numbers, will be charged international rates set in your plan.

Charges for each minute after plan minutes, or bundle minutes expire are $0.20 not the traditional $0.40.

Month to Month contract add $10 each month
Add-A-Phone to share minutes (up to 5 distinct lines/numbers) $10 each phone. Some plans will offer free.
Roaming off network calls are $0.50 a minute and minutes are exhausted from monthly rate allowance if not on a plan. Plans are $10 for unlimited use off network

I think most companies do SOME of this, and I know no company that will do all of it, however, many in Europe, and Canada offer some of these features

[NYCDru]

With the new wireless trend in the US gearing towards profiatability, and such companies as Sprint, Nextel, and ATT adjusting there plans to be WORSE for the consumer, not better, I don't see any of these new things hapening soon.

[northform]

The problem with changing all plans to national is that very few companies have national coverage (or, more accurately, only Sprint, T-Mobile, and Nextel do). T-Mobile does own a network in CA and NV which means that they are licenced in all markets. Even if it is jus the provider's network, calls made out of your home area are more difficult for the carrier. The network has to search the home area and then search nationally. There is a reason that national plans cost more. Plus, why should people that don't need national roaming pay for it? The same goes for domestic long distance (never mind international LD as you suggest).

The problem with the holiday plan is which holidays? You say all recognised holidays, but how recognised is recognised? No matter where you draw the line, you will offend someone or run yourselves out of business. I would love to get free calls for Chanukkah, but the phone company would never give free calls for consecutive workdays and I would be offended if they offered free calls on Christmas and not Chanukkah. And what would providers do about the month of Ramadan? Today (Feb 24) is Gregorian Calendar Day, Hadassah Anniversary, Flag Day (Mexico), and Independence Day (Estonia). Are there days that aren't holidays?

The deal behind m2m is that the company hopes that the other person you are calling doesn't have it so that they can charge him/her while you talk with free in your head. They also want people to buy their phone because someone they know uses it and they can get m2m (ie. Dani uses Verizon so I will get Verizon so we can talk using m2m). There would be no point in offering m2m if it wasn't limited to the provider's network. Plus, as more people begin using mobiles as their everyday phone, it would mean that there would be no non-m2m calls to bill.

Providers aren't going to begin to offer month to month. Sprint has eliminated it (or at least is making people think that they did). Other providers, like Verizon and Sprint, have eliminated plans under $35/mo so that people can't switch to the $20 plan when their contract is 4 mo from expiring. With Amazon's -$150 phones, one need only keep the phone for 5 months and then switch to the $20/mo plan and the phone still costs nothing. People complain that the 12/mo no minutes included plans went away (since people liked them for emergency purposes), but they went away for a reason. It was cheaper to switch to that plan than to cancel the contract even if you had a year left.

[tylerdurden]

After reading that huge unrealistic "wish list", I think you'd have better luck just asking for 10,000 minutes for $9.99 per month.

[NYCDru]

1.) 5000min/for $100/month ain't bad

2.) Sprint still has the $10/month no contract options...they just won't TELL you they have it unless you look/ask.

3.) VZW M2M + Cingular messing up is going to make a lot of my friends M2M soon. yay

[Phony]

It nearly fell out of my seat laughing at your wish list. Here's the deal.....carriers have to be profitable otherwise they lost money and go under. The carriers could very easily do everything on your list but would lose so much money that they'd go under. Good reading though.

[bobolito]

xtoddler, you forgot to add something in your wish list to allow carriers make some money.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] Seriously, nowadays when they are all struggling for profit, I don't think they will be able to survive long with plans like those. You're right, some of those features are offered, but nobody can offer them all at the same time.

[xtoddler2]

First off..its not a wish list..

Secondly, Id like to mention that I said.."I THINK IT WOULD BE COOL..IF.." not.."THIS IS WHAT I WANT, AND WHAT WE SHOULD DO..." It would be NICE if it happened but I never said it HAD to

Third, and lastly, Id like to thank you all for informing me and further making me look back and laugh at you, for telling me things I already know.....doesnt anyone ever have fantasies anymore?

Next time, why not just say.."YOU MORON" and end the thread?

[AustinPowers]

Personally, I think customers in Europe are being screwed - royally. Whenever I tell my friends back in the UK about my plan here, they flip. I get 600 anytime minutes, unlimited night and weekend, and free long distance and roaming for $39.99. Sure, T-Mobile has limited coverage compared to Verizon, and sometimes the reception is bad, but I'm happy with the loads of minutes I get.

In the UK, customers are forced to differentiate between land lines and mobiles, with mobile calls to other networks costing a fortune. I have friends who are forced to only call others who are on the same network because of the ridiculous plans they have. And it's not like it's always free to call others on the same network, usually it's only at night. And for the same price as me, they get something absurd like 100 free minutes. Actually, it's more like 50 free minutes. Some plans even have 20 free minutes. *Laugh* You have to be a genius to figure out most of these plans. Why is text messaging so popular in Europe? It's because they can't afford to talk to each other.

And as far as free nationwide roaming goes in Europe, Britain is the size of Idaho, and France the size of Texas.

If the providers here ever went the european way, as Americans and Canadians, we'd laugh in their faces and ditch our phones. I certainly would.

[xtoddler2]

Regardless of free minutes....they dont pay for incoming phone calls, on ANY network, across Europe....At least my friend on T-Mobile in Germany, doesnt pay for any incoming phone calls anywhere, but that might just be an old plan from D-1 he was on......
The bad side...the caller pays a HUGE fee close to 40 cents American (if you are British, its like 0.20-0.40£, and about 0.30-0.50� European)

Oh well.....who cares now

[AustinPowers]

Well, I know in Britain you usually have to pay for the incoming call as well, or it is deducted from your minute pool. And yes, you're right, calling mobiles put a real dent in my phone bill, amost 65p a minute. British Telecom has to be one of the dirtiest monopolies in the world.