Phone Carriers

Qwest Phone Service

contact — Fri, 26 May 2006 01:10:37 +0000

Colorado-based Qwest Communications is one of the largest telecommunications carriers in the United States, providing both local and long distance servicesto users across a range of states.

Qwest offers voice services to Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Montana, Minnesota, Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming and Washington. Qwest also offers a strong mobile program through a partnership with Sprint/Nextel.

Qwest offers digital television and broadband Internet in some states.

Summary

Cellular Plans: Through partnership with Sprint/Nextel
Local Plans: Yes
VoIP Plans: No
Television Plans: Yes (some states)
Broadband Internet Plans: Yes (some states)

Telus Phone Service

contact — Fri, 26 May 2006 01:05:16 +0000

Second only to Bell, Telus is Canada’s largest residential telephone carrier, offering services to several million customers, including small businesses, larger businesses and enterprises. Most of the Telus customer base is in Western Canada.

On top of Telus’ vast telecommunications offerings, they also offer ADSL broadband Internet access and a full cellular network. Recently, Telus added an digital television providing service.

Alberta based Telus took over the British Columbian market after a merger with BC Tel in 1999.

Summary

Cellular Plans: Yes
Local Plans: Yes
VoIP Plans: No
Television Plans: Yes
Broadband Internet Plans: Yes

Lingo VoIP Service

contact — Wed, 24 May 2006 04:02:13 +0000

Lingo is a voice over IP broadband telephony service provided by Primus Telecom. While being a decent local and local-long-distance VoIP provider, Lingo has been widely discussed for their international long distance offerings.

Lingo offers a free first month to all subscribers, and premium features such as voicemail are included with all packages.

For $19.95, Lingo offers unlimited local and US/Canada/European calling, their set of “basic” and “premium” features, and more. There is a $29.95 activation fee for every account.

Summary

Cellular Plans: No
Local Plans: No
VoIP Plans: Yes
Television Plans: No
Broadband Internet Plans: No

T-Mobile Cellular Phone Service

contact — Wed, 24 May 2006 02:33:03 +0000

Washington-based T-Mobile USA is the 4th largest US-based wireless phone service network providing for over 21 million subscribers. Before being acquired by the Deutsche Telekom in 2001, T-Mobile was known as VoiceStream Wireless.

T-Mobile’s cellular phones are exclusively GSM-based wireless technology, T-Mobile has an EDGE-based wireless data transfer network for laptops and wireless phones.

T-Mobile wireless products are available through the company’s retail stores, and via the A1 Wireless mobile phone comparison portal.

They offers a range of mobile phones through their website, which are reviewed on our partner site, Wireless Talk.

Summary

Cellular Plans: Yes
Local Plans: No
VoIP Plans: No
Television Plans: No
Broadband Internet Plans: No

Cingular Cellular Phone Service

contact — Wed, 24 May 2006 01:40:58 +0000

Atlanta, Georgia based Cingular Wireless is the leading cellular phone provider in the United States, owned mostly by AT&T and BellSouth.

Cingular is a GSM-based network for the voice-protocol, and offers GPRS, EDGE and the recent HSDPA 3G network for wireless data services for both cellular phones and laptops.

Cingular offers a range of mobile phones through their website, which are reviewed on our partner site, Wireless Talk.

Summary

Cellular Plans: Yes
Local Plans: No
VoIP Plans: No
Television Plans: No
Broadband Internet Plans: No

Packet8 VoIP Service

contact — Mon, 22 May 2006 06:00:30 +0000

Packet8 is a United States-based voice over IP service provided by 8×8 Inc. Known for it’s low rates of $19.95 / month for unlimited local and long distance calls over IP.

Packet8 offers free voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, and a range of VoIP-specific functions, on all plans.

Packet8 has a semi-undocumented $29.95 activation fee, payable on all products, equipment is included.

Summary

Cellular Plans: No
Local Plans: No
VoIP Plans: Yes
Television Plans: No
Broadband Internet Plans: No

BellSouth Residential Phone Service

contact — Mon, 22 May 2006 05:20:45 +0000

BellSouth was one of the more successful results of the 1984 AT&T breakup. BellSouth has since grown to take over South Central Bell, one of the other Bell companies formed as the result of that breakup.

As a subsidary of AT&T, BellSouth also holds a majority share in Cingular Wireless, the United States’ largest wireless communications network.

BellSouth and AT&T have recently worked out a deal to re-merge in to AT&T.

Summary

Cellular Plans: Majority share in Cingular Wireless
Local Plans: Yes
VoIP Plans: No
Television Plans: Yes
Broadband Internet Plans: Yes

AT&T Phone Service

contact — Mon, 22 May 2006 02:28:46 +0000

AT&T is the United States’ largest and oldest local and long distance communications provider, with origins tracing all the way back to the origin of the telephone pre-1900. AT&T also sports one of the United States’ largest broadband internet services.

AT&T owns majority share in the mobile phone network: Cingular Wireless.

In 1984, AT&T was forced, under anti-competition laws to split in to several regional companies with the name “Bell-”. In the past few years, these smaller “Bell-” companies have re-merged in to the original AT&T company. AT&T is being traded on the NYSE as “T”.

Summary

Cellular Plans: Majority share in Cingular Wireless
Local Plans: Yes
VoIP Plans: No
Television Plans: No
Broadband Internet Plans: Yes

Alltel Cellular Phone Service

contact — Mon, 22 May 2006 01:31:36 +0000

Alltel, based in Little Rock, Arkansas is one of the leading providers of cellular phone service in the United States, with over 15 million customers, mostly in the central and southern U.S., Alltel’s reach is massive.

Alltel is literally a one-stop destination for communications, offering television, broadband internet services, mobile phones, local and long distance calling and the largest communications network in the United States.

Alltel was one of the first providers to offer the “My Circle” service, which allows users of Alltel to set a select set of specified numbers to be completely free to communicate with - optimal for teenagers who need to contact their parents, or for business use.

Summary

Cellular Plans: Yes
Local Plans: Yes
Long Distance Plans: Yes
VoIP Plans: No
Television Plans: Yes
Broadband Internet Plans: Yes