If you're wary of getting a cellular phone because you're afraid of paying high prices for something you'd use only occasionally, you may be in luck. GTE Mobilnet, one of the largest cellular phone service providers in Santa Cruz County, announced a new rate plan earlier this month that might give some relief to cellular phone customers tired of having to pay for services they don't use. Nearly one in 10 Santa Cruz County residents uses a cellular phone these days, according to one local sales manager. Growth has been especially strong in the last two years, after the Public Utilities Commission relaxed regulations.
Providers can now offer group rates and discounts for off-peak air time more easily.
There's also more competition, driving prices down and making it more of a buyers' market. GTE introduced a plan Jan. 10 designed to accommodate those buyers. It divides the central coast of California, from Santa Rosa to Santa Barbara, into seven geographic zones. Customers pick one of these as their primary calling area, and calls made or received within the selected zone cost 39 a minute. Santa Cruz is part of the South Bay zone, along with Santa Clara County.