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Cell Phone Discount Programs
Date: January 18, 2008
Author: David Smidt, SeniorDiscounts

There are now wireless plan options available for seniors that would like to have a
cell phone but do not need all of the extras and high costs associated with many of the
current cell plans and providers. These cell phone plans can be a great alternative for
people who would like to have a cell phone in case of emergencies or while traveling.

We should note that while these plans are more affordable, they have a limited amount
of usage minutes attached to the plans and people who may use a cell phone more often may
find that other, more common plans may better fit their needs. It can be difficult to
track the actual number of minutes used and we tend to use our phones more often than we expect.

Jitterbug

Jitterbug does not have any age requirements for its cell phone service, but states that
its phones are ideal for seniors who want a simple plan that can be used for travel,
emergencies, and low-volume calling.

Jitterbug plans start at $10 per month with no long distance or roaming fees. The plans
are all pay as you go and require no contract and thus no early termination fees. You can
pay monthly or yearly and can add minutes to the plans at any time. There is a one time set
up fee of $35 for all plans. (Surcharges, government taxes and assessments are not included
in their pricing and vary by state and municipality.)

There are only two phones to choose from and each costs about $150. The phones are designed
to be easy to use and include larger numbers and buttons, larger screens and text and loader
volumes.

Jitterbug provides 24 hour customer service that can make calls for you, provide directory
assistance and add names to your phone list, but it comes at a price. For each Jitterbug
operator-assisted call, 5 minutes are deducted from the available minutes on your plan and
standard per minute usage rates apply for the length of the call.

Plan Costs and Details:
– $35 One-time activation fee
– Plans start at a $10 monthly access fee
– $.35 per minute for additional minutes
– No contract
– Voicemail is $3 a month
– No charges for switching plans
– Regular minutes are good for 90 days
– Add on minutes are good for one year

For the complete details of the Jitterbug plans, visit: Jitterbug

AT&T Senior Nation 200

AT&T recently released a wireless cell phone plan for people 65 years of age and older.
This new plan is a lower cost plan geared towards seniors who may not use a cell phone very
often, but wish to have a phone for emergencies and stay connected to family, friends,
children, grandchildren and physicians for medical monitoring purposes.

The plan is structured much like the other plans offered by AT&T, but provides fewer monthly
minutes and not as many extras and features. The new plan includes 200 Anytime Minutes, 500
Night & Weekend Minutes and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling for a $29.99 monthly access fee.

Plan Details:
– 200 Anytime minutes
– 500 Nights and Weekends minutes
– No roaming or wireless long distance charges
– Unlimited Mobile to Mobile minutes
– Rollover minutes not included on this plan

Plan Costs:
– $36.00 One-time activation fee
– $29.99 monthly access fee
– $.45 per minute for additional minutes
– 2 Year contract length

Included Plan Features:
– Three-Way Calling
– Call Forwarding
– Caller ID
– Call Waiting
– Basic Voice Mail (Airtime minutes may be charged for accessing voicemail)
– Long Distance

As with most cell phone plans, early termination fees will apply, although AT&T offers a 30
day cancelation policy to avoid the $175 termination fee. If you think that you or your loved
ones may use more minutes than those allotted by this plan, you may want to look into plans with
more minutes, as you can not add more minutes to the Senior Nation 200 plan and it may be difficult
for phone users to determine how many minutes they are actually using every month.

(One must be at least, 65 years old to be eligible for the Senior Nation 200 rate plan. If AT&T
determines that the subscriber is not eligible for this plan, it will change your rate plan to one
for which you qualify.)

For the complete details of the AT&T Senior Nation 200 rate plan, visit: AT&T

© SeniorDiscounts

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