Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in
news:g03c43$r3$2@aioe.org:

> Sure- that's a regional plan with extra cost LD, and probably extra
> cost roaming. AT&T's $40 includes N&W, M2M, is nationwide and
> includes rollover.
>
> What does a $40 national Alltel plan buy?
>
>
>

No extra cost LD. I can call any phone in the country, same price, from
INSIDE my regional area. I travel outside the region very infrequently,
even more infrequently at $4-5/gallon, now! When I do travel outside the
region, I simply call 611 or go to the webpage and buy 100 mins of
nationwide service for $10. My account is setup so that it will refill
the 100 minutes for $10 when it runs under 10 (I think) minutes so
there's no chance of roaming charges.

I only pay for nationwide service when I want to USE nationwide
service....more infrequently as fuel and traveling prices rise and rise.
It's a real consideration more people should be making these days. I
don't need service in Utah 99.9999% of my life. I'll buy it for $10 when
I do. That's only 10c/min for nationwide service-on-demand, which is
cheap.

$39.95 buys you 500 minutes on the nationwide plan with Free LD,
unlimited N/W, Unlimited M2M on Alltel and one My Circle unlimited number
on any system, phone or cellular in the country.

$10 more buys you 750 mins and 5 unlimited My Circle numbers on any
system.

Alltel's unlimited plans with My Circle are new and the new best deal.
$50 buys you 750 mins plus 5 My Circle numbers with unlimited N/W, M2M,
all the toys.
$60 is 900 mins plus 10 My Circle numbers
$80 is 1400 mins plus 10 My Circles but if you're going to go this far
you might as well spend $99 and just get nationwide unlimited with no
need of My Circle as you can call any number any time forever....all
unlimited, unless you have more than one phone sharing the plan. Of
course the $99 plan doesn't allow you to spend $10/extra phone/number to
share unlimited minutes. It's just for single phones and, curiously, not
available for smartphones and Blackberry for some strange reason that
escapes me.

Most Americans are not nationwide travelers and forcing them to buy only
nationwide plans they'll rarely, if ever, get use of is just stupid.
With the constantly rising price of fuel, transport tickets, hotels and
guest taxes, even more Americans are just wasting their money buying
nationwide SELLphone service. The carriers who don't offer local or
regional service are just fleecing them...especially Verizon and ATT.