Considering how much they talk between themselves and with their parents, cheap cell phone plans are extremely important for all college-going students. Cell phones don’t come cheap; you have to pay for the device and then for the monthly plan as well, especially if you are using it for entertainment. It can get pretty hard for a student to figure out which plan will work best for him/her. We’ve listed below all important factors you must keep in mind while selecting the right cell phone plan for yourself.
Coverage
It’s important to go for a network that keeps you well-connected in all the areas where you spend most of your time. Although Verizon has a fairly strong network, you need to weigh if it’s worth paying that much money if your territory is equally well-covered by another good but cheap carrier. You should go through coverage maps and talk to your neighbours about the reception quality of different providers.
On the other hand, if most of your time is spent in densely populated areas which are well covered by Wi-Fi, you may get by just by Wi-Fi, and may not require network data coverage. But if you’re someone who travels a lot, you must choose a provider/plan that provides you good coverage wherever you go.
Speed
Your network will not only determine your coverage area, it’ll also impact your data download and upload speeds. 4G LTE works best for uploads; hence getting a 4G LTE network access should be your top priority if you spend most of your time uploading. But if your phone usage is mostly for texting and talking purposes, a 3G or perhaps an even slower speed plan may be good enough for you.
Extent of usage
In case you use your phone only for emergencies, you may very well get by even with a basic plan that provides a limited number of calls and comparatively lesser data. On the other hand, if you’re heavily into texting and calling, but less of web surfing, you’d be better off with a plan offering unlimited texting and talk time, regardless of what kind of data limits are on offer.
But if most of your time is spent on watching YouTube videos or listening to online music, you’d need a plan that gives you maximum data at best possible rate.
International calling
Make frequent calls to your friends abroad? You may need a plan that doesn’t charge you heavily for international calls. Furthermore, if you yourself spend a lot of time abroad, it may be best to go with a provider that’ll keep you well-connected, no matter where you go.
Choice of phones
If your heart is set on some specific cell phone model, or you’re used to a device that you’ve been using for quite some time, you may need to opt for a carrier which supports that model. Else you should be prepared to switch your phone to get the cheapest plan.
Good customer service
Last but not the least, it’s very important to go with a provider that has good customer service. It’s best to obtain first-hand information regarding customer service from your friends and other users.
