advertisement
Looking for something on the site? Search for it here! Also see Clark's Greatest Hits

May 18, 2009 -- Monopoly cell providers show themselves as dinosaurs

Clark and his wife were recently watching Coming to America on Bravo and he was struck by how much communication has changed in the world since the movie was released in 1988.

In one scene, Arsenio Hall goes to send a wire -- as in a telegram. When was the last time you heard of anyone doing that?! Later in the movie, another actor makes a call from Queens to Manhattan and it's billed at a long distance rate!

During the commercial breaks, Clark saw a few current spots that were just as outdated in their mentality as the movie was in it's portrayal of communications.

AT&T Wireless' commercial was about rollover minutes. An ad from Verizon Wireless, meanwhile, bragged about how you can call friends on their network and it won't count against your minutes.

Both companies are really lost in time. The idea of charging customers per minute to use a cell phone is antiquated. We're very rapidly moving to a world where all you'll be charged for is service such as voice and data.

Do you want to make a clean break from the dinosaurs of the cell phone world?

The consumer champ has frequently recommended no-contract cell phone carriers like Metro PCS and Cricket. He also likes some of the monthly pre-paid unlimited plans such as Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile.

In addition, for those who are still tethered to the major cell phone carriers, T-Mobile's loyalty plan may benefit those who have been customers for 22 months or longer.

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

Avg. rating: N/A

Add your comment

Security Image * Please enter the code shown at left
what's this?

What others are saying

  • Cell Service
    I've tried consumer cellular service. It has no contract and you may change levels anytime. So, far it's been fine and good customer service.
  • cell plans - TMobile
    I've been a TMobile customer since they bought out Voice Stream-10+ yrs. They are terrific! I pay $49.99 with unlimited anywhere/time minutes & free roaming! I agree with the other post, their cust svc is superb!!
  • tmobile loyalty
    I'm a fan of Tmobile ... my loyalty plan is $65/mo unlimited talk AND data (blackberry) ... and their customer service is A+
  • cell phone
    The problem I have found previously is area coverage when not using AT & T, has that changed, would love to get away from being so limited but need NE GA coverage?
  • TracFone is also a good alternative if you don;t want to be stuck in a contract and don't use a cell phone a ton.
  • Free Minutes
    Kroger has a cell phone that you get free minuted for using your loyalty card.
  • Metro PCS, et al
    Thank you for mentioning these companies as an alternative to the high priced "big" cell phone companies. When my contract expires, I will definitely check one of them out.
send to a friend  view as printer-friendly  RSS feeds
advertisement
advertisement
THIS WEEK'S POLL
advertisement