change plans/home coverage areas during calendar year

[GUCCI4B]

Can you change your plan periodically?

I am thinking about getting ATTWS GSM service. I want to get the mmode service stuff for a few months and then maybe drop it. I just want to download pictures and ring tones etc... They have this offer of the first month fee is waved for all of thier mmode data plans. But does that mean I can use as much data as I want for the first month becuase the fee is waved? Or only a certain amount, only if I sign up for a plan to go into effcet after the 1st month (but couldn't I just cancel it) If that is the case then i wil not need a plan for and just pay the few cents per KB for news scores and stuff.


Also.

Like say I am in Boston for 8 months of the year, but then for 4 months I am in the NY area. Can I change my area code or number or home coverage area for my plan, then how would the billing address work. I have not found a plan yet GSM or TDMA that will encompass both the NY and BOS metro area only as a region (not a national network.)

Thanks.

[Matt]

Most companies will let you add and subtract those options at will. However, if you switch phone numbers (to Boston in your example) you won't get your NY number back when you want to switch back. You can't put it in reserve.

[GUCCI4B]

So you think that I will be able to get a, say BOS number, and the BOS area as my Home Coverage Area, but then when I am in NY for four months of the year, I just ask them to change my home coverage area for that time to the NY area, but still keep my BOS assigned number. I assume making and receiving long distance calls or VM's from my current Home Coverage Area will be under my plan wherever my home coverage area is.

Also when I get VM's, do most companies, namely ATT, charge it under your minutes?

I know this is complicated, but do you thin they will work with me on that. I would be a new customer, are they that desperate to sign pu new people that requests like this are honored?

Thanks for you reply.

[Matt]

Well, if you sign up for a national plan, or possibly a regional plan (depending on the carrier) it will (for national) or may (for regional) include both areas as "home" territory. So, making or receiving calls (and VM) is covered as long as you are in the "home" area, whether that is the whole nation or a smaller region. The only impact is that those in NY who call you and your BOS number could be charged long distance, unless of course they are on a national cell plan too, for example.

I don't know AT&T policies. T-Mobile charges you anytime minutes to access your voicemail from your mobile phone. You can do it for free from a landline, if you are in your local landline area (most likely the BOS area in your example)

[northform]

ATT doesn't have regional GSM plans. All ATT GSM plans are national.

You can change your phone number, but they might get pissy if you try it every week.

[GUCCI4B]

I thought that ATT GSM Charter plans are regional/based on home coverage are/what zip code you type in?

[northform]

The reason they ask for your zip is so that they can confirm that ATT has coverage in that area. They can't activate service where they don't have coverage.

There is no long distance/roaming on ATT's national GSM netowork with the Charter GSM plans.