| If you already have a mobile phone, you can switch to | | | | offered. |
| a different network and take your phone number with | | | | With rental you pay a monthly fee in the same way |
| you, although you may need a different handset. You | | | | as you would for a land line. Many monthly rental |
| could get a connection with a new number, using your | | | | packages include some inclusive call minutes or |
| existing handset. | | | | talktime |
| Networks | | | | Monthly line rental costs from around £6, with a |
| When you buy a phone you need to choose a | | | | wide range of call-plans available. Look at several to |
| network - O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-mobile are | | | | work out which is best for you, and to ensure you |
| mobile phone networks. Each network is a collection of | | | | spend the least amount of money relative to the use |
| radio towers all over the country, linked together and | | | | you expect to make of the service. Spending more on |
| transmitting people's conversations. | | | | your monthly call-plan will result in more inclusive |
| A mobile phone service usually comes as a package, | | | | minutes, and calls made with inclusive minutes tend to |
| made up of the phone itself and access to a network. | | | | be cheaper then calls made outside of the call-plan |
| There are five main mobile phone networks in the UK | | | | Generally, paying higher line rental gets you cheaper |
| - O2, T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone and most recently | | | | call charges |
| '3' with its growing third generation network which can | | | | Before you commit yourself, check whether you can |
| support mobile video. Other operators such as Virgin | | | | change contracts later as your usage and |
| and BT Mobile use the 5 main networks and there are | | | | circumstances may change. |
| many airtime resellers dealing with one or all the | | | | When you buy a phone, it is subsidised by the network |
| networks. They offer two ways of using their | | | | or service provider, the higher your monthly fees the |
| services; by "pay as you go" or by monthly line rental. If | | | | cheaper the phone will be. A mobile phone can be |
| you do not intend to make a great number of calls | | | | included 'free' when bought as part of a subsidised |
| from a mobile phone, a pay as you go package may | | | | package, but without the subsidy even a basic model |
| suffice but any reasonably regular use (especially | | | | would cost at least £70, and you could pay |
| during business hours) probably warrants a monthly | | | | £300 or more for the latest models with WAP |
| package - which package will depend on the volume | | | | access, GPRS and Bluetooth or other mobile data |
| of calls you anticipate making. | | | | features. Expect to pay more for the handset with a |
| You don't need to put pen to paper for most mobile | | | | pay as you go package because you are also getting |
| phone contracts nowadays, but they are still legally | | | | a line but without a monthly rental charge and minimum |
| binding. Contracts can be 'signed' over a website or | | | | contract. |
| over the phone. | | | | Choosing the handset |
| The network should be the first thing you choose | | | | There are lots of different phones to choose between. |
| when you're starting out. Your choice of network will | | | | Read the Handsets section before deciding. |
| decide where you get good coverage, and how good | | | | Once you have seen all the information here, and |
| the customer service is. Some networks have better | | | | decided what you want, find a good mobile phone |
| coverage in particular areas than others, but customer | | | | shop offers excellent value, superb service, and |
| service varies from day to day, depending on demand. | | | | provided you with this information! |
| Price plans | | | | See the web site for information about the wide range |
| Next, decide whether you want a pay as you go | | | | of phones available. |
| phone or a traditional contract arrangement. | | | | Some users are far more interested in gadgets than |
| Pre-pay, where you pay (usually by buying vouchers) | | | | others, as a general rule you should get a phone with |
| before you make calls. There is no risk of a high bill, but | | | | as many feature as you think you will need. If you think |
| sometimes this is an expensive option, adding | | | | you need lots of features then there are plenty of |
| vouchers can be inconvenient and you may run out of | | | | mobile phones to suit you. |
| credit during an important call. | | | | You should also be careful before opting for some of |
| Pay as you go packages are useful if you only expect | | | | the pay-as-you go deals. Some use phones that skimp |
| to use your mobile occasionally, and are cost effective | | | | on features for the sake of cost cutting. |
| if you expect to receive a lot of calls, but not to make | | | | Look for a phone with good battery life, the phone |
| many. But you should be aware that some companies | | | | should get you easily through a full day or weekend of |
| set an expiry date on their credits, meaning that the | | | | normal use. |
| credit must be used in the time allocated. | | | | The most important thing is to choose a good mobile |
| Contract - where you get a bill each month, but the call | | | | phone shop, can provide you with some good deals, |
| charges are usually lower, and there are more facilities | | | | check out the site for more information..... |