THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 6, 1995 TAG: 9502040214
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANET DUNPHY, SPECIAL TO BUSINESS WEEKLY
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
The cellular phone craze has gained momentum. But if you're in the market for a cellular phone, sorting through the options can be trying.
Companies offer a multitude of packages that incorporate different monthly charges as well as minute rates.
With that in mind, here's a guide for navigating the cellular market.
Cellular sales folks estimate as many as 170,000 people in Tidewater own a car phone.
Employers began the trend. Companies such as Farm Fresh, Norfolk Southern and Dollar Tree provide cellular phones for some employees, said Bill Stroud, owner of Communications Products. Gradually, consumers caught on. Sales soared during the holidays.
``Parents are buying them for their college kids and men are buying then for their wives,'' said Donna Levine, owner of Cellular World. ``No one wants to be stranded by the side of the road anymore.''
Many of Levine's female customers are nurses who work night shifts and commute around midnight. Cellular phones are also popular with firefighters who work 24-hour shifts.
Free weekends, offered by both Sprint Cellular and Contel Cellular, have helped boost cellular phone sales, dealers said.
The Motorola Flip Phone costs about $79 and has six-tenths of a watt. It weighs less than a pound and folds to fit easily into a coat pocket.
Another Motorola model is the bag phone or tote. This three-watt phone, battery and adapter system is contained in a soft carrying case.
Priced at less than $50, the tote has three watts and more power for outlying areas can be obtained.
Car phones that are nstalled permanently in the car are an option, although salesman said they can attract thieves.
Portables account for 80 percent of the sales at Cellular Express, said manager Scott Witkin.
Witkin said high-quality phones manufactured by Fujitso and Pioneer range in price from about $119 to $150.
Kim Sakellis, owner of Cellular Too, said car phones and pagers often go hand in hand.
the car phone for messaging, is currently offered by Motorola and Sprint. Called Digital Messaging Service, it enables a caller to leave a voice or digital message and costs $13.95 a month.
Fax machines are also available, though dealers only a select few have purchased them. The fax machine costs about $700 and the adapter that connects the fax to the phone is $245.
An interface that can link a car phone to a computer in the car starts at about $185. Sakellis said that capability is most popular with larger companies outfitting a number of cars. Theythey normally deal directly with the carrier.
Contel and Sprint offer a variety of packages for consumer - Contel sells seven plans and Sprint sells six.
Most plans are available in conjunction with phone purchase promotions. Consumers are usually required to sign a one-year contract for the desired rate plan.
``Our business is to sell air time, not to get into the phone business,'' said Brian Martenson, Sprint's retail sales manager for Hampton Roads.
Since the company subsidizes the cost of the phone for $100 or more, they need to be guaranteed the consumer will stick with the plan for a year, said Martenson. Hence the contract.
Noting the interest in personal security, Contel and Sprint each offer specific plans.
Contel's Assurance Plan costs $19.95 a month and includes 10 free minutes. A 55-cent per minute charge begins after the 10 minutes.
Sprint's Security Rate Plan costs $16 a month and 50 cents per minute. The company's other popular plans are the Consumer Rate Plan and the Business Plan.
The consumer plan is aimed at casual rather than business users, said Martenson. The company's No. 1 selling plan, it costs $28 a month and 33 cents per minute and automatically gives users free weekends.
The business plan costs $70 a month and gives 225 minutes of air time with a 25-cent per minute charge beginning on the 226th minute. Free weekends are optional for $10 a month.
Unlike Contel, Sprint does not offer a peak and non-peak time rate. ``We found it confusing to the customers,'' said Martenson.
Two of Contel's most popular plans are the Super Max and the Standard Plan.
The Super Max is aimed at high volume users, typically a business person, for $295.95 a month, 3,000 minutes and then a 10-cent per minute charge.
The standard plan costs $32.95 a month for 30 free minutes and 35 cents per call during peak time and 19 cents per call during off-peak.
Contel also offers a residential plan for $14.95 a month whereby a customer can rent a portable phone for $10 a month and pay 55 cents a minute. There are no free minutes.
``This is designed to allow someone who is unfamiliar with cellular to test it out,'' said Carla Usery, Contel general manager.
KEYWORDS: CELLULAR PHONES by CNB