Studies show that customers who already own phones tend to look for deals that don't require contracts. Cellular providers typically offer several phones at discounted rates or even for free. It's the old razor and razor blade marketing system, in which the phone's cost is subsidized by the service fees. This means you've got to balance the cost of the plan and the phone. TCO includes the monthly fees and any extra services you pay for, as well as the cost of equipment.
Most plans now offer pretty wide roaming areas.
If you re in Seattle, for example, some plans let you call from northern California and Idaho before roaming charges apply. One of the growing trends in the industry is for pre-paid service, in which customers who don't want to deal with credit checks pay in advance for a certain amount of airtime. It eliminates the monthly fees, and is particularly popular with parents who want to give their teenagers their own cell phones for emergency purposes. Know where you use the phone Consider where your calls will be made and received, and whether the service provider guarantees coverage through its antenna network in that area. The lowest cost program is meaningless if you can't make a call.