Family Cell Phone Plans in Cedar Rapids
If two or more people wish to share an allotment of minutes, you should consider a family cell phone plan. Generally, two users are able to take advantage of all the plan's features, and additional users can be added to the plan for a fee of $10-20 per user.A family plan is an especially good idea for families who need to arrange their schedules around work, practices, and school, and for small groups in which some members use their phones infrequently but want to be able to communicate in the case of an emergency or an inconvenience. Oftentimes, calls made between family plan members do not count toward the monthly allotment of minutes.
In many cases, a long-term cell phone plan gives you more free
night
and weekend minutes or a larger calling area than a prepaid plan.
A family plan often includes a free or discounted
cell
phone and requires a 1- or 2-year contract. If you decide
to
terminate your contract before it expires, you often will have to pay
an early termination fee of $150-200 or an amount based on the
remaining months on your contract. However, cellular companies
often waive the activation fee. We have compiled a list of
family cell phone plans that cost up to $150 per month.
| Company | Plan | Anytime Minutes | Setup Fee | Monthly Price |
ET Fee | Years | Extra Line | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T (Cingular) | Nation 550 | 550 | $36 | $60 | $175 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 9 PM. Unused minutes carry over. |
| AT&T (Cingular) | Nation 700 | 700 | $36 | $70 | $175 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 9 PM. Unused minutes carry over. |
| AT&T (Cingular) | Nation 1400 | 1400 | $36 | $90 | $175 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 9 PM. Unused minutes carry over. |
| AT&T (Cingular) | Nation 2100 | 2100 | $36 | $110 | $175 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 9 PM. Unused minutes carry over. |
| AT&T (Cingular) | Nation 3000 | 3000 | $36 | $150 | $175 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 9 PM. Unused minutes carry over. |
| I Wireless | Nationwide 500 | 500 |
$30 | $50 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | Nationwide 700 | 700 |
$30 | $60 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | Nationwide 1000 | 1000 |
$30 | $70 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | Nationwide 2000 | 2000 | $30 | $100 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | Nationwide 3000 | 3000 | $30 | $130 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | my5 Nation 500 | 500 | $30 | $60 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | my5 Nation 700 | 700 | $30 | $70 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | my5 Nation 1000 | 1000 | $30 | $80 | $20/mo, $200 max$20/mo | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | my5 Nation 2000 | 2000 | $30 | $110 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| I Wireless | my5 Nation 3000 | 3000 | $30 | $140 | $20/mo, $200 max | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited local after 5 PM. |
| Sprint | Power Pack Family 550 | 550 | $36 | $60 | $200 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 7 PM. |
| Sprint | Power Pack Family 700 | 700 | $36 | $70 | $200 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 7 PM. |
| Sprint | Power Pack Family 1400 | 1400 | $36 | $90 | $200 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 7 PM. |
| Sprint | Power Pack Family 2100 | 2100 | $36 | $110 | $200 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 7 PM. |
| Sprint | Power Pack Family 3000 | 3000 | $36 | $150 | $200 | 2 | $10 | Unlimited nights after 7 PM. |
| U.S. Cellular | Wide Area Family 1000 | 1000 |
$0 | $70 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 7 PM. Includes 45 roaming minutes. |
| U.S. Cellular | Wide Area Family 1700 | 1700 | $0 | $90 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 7 PM. Includes 45 roaming minutes. |
| U.S. Cellular | Wide
Area Family 2400 |
2400 |
$0 | $110 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 7 PM. Includes 45 roaming minutes. |
| U.S. Cellular | Wide
Area Family 3600 |
3600 |
$0 | $150 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 7 PM. Includes 45 roaming minutes. |
| U.S. Cellular | National Family 700 | 700 | $0 | $70 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| U.S. Cellular | National Family 1400 | 1400 | $0 | $90 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 7 PM. |
| U.S. Cellular | National Family 2100 | 2100 | $0 | $110 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 7 PM. |
| U.S. Cellular | National Family 3000 | 3000 | $0 | $150 | $150 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 7 PM. |
| Verizon | 700 |
700 |
$25 or $35 | $70 |
$175 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Verizon | 1400 | 1400 |
$25 or $35 | $90 | $175 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Verizon | 2100 |
2100 |
$25 or $35 | $110 |
$175 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Verizon | 3000 | 3000 | $25 or $35 | $150 | $175 | 1, 2 | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM.. |
| Qwest |
Shared 500 | 500 | $35 | $60 | $200 | ? | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Qwest |
Shared 750 | 750 | $35 | $70 | $200 | ? | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Qwest |
Shared 1000 | 1000 | $35 | $80 | $200 | ? | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Qwest |
Shared 1500 | 1500 | $35 | $100 | $200 | ? | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Qwest |
Shared 2000 | 2000 | $35 | $120 | $200 | ? | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
| Qwest |
Shared 2500 | 2500 | $35 | $140 |
$200 | ? | $10 | Unlimited after 9 PM. |
Details and prices are valid as of June 20, 2008. The customer should verify prices and details before signing a contract.
1. Prices do not include taxes and surcharges that may apply.
2. Coverage areas vary greatly among mobile phone provider and plans.
3. Minutes that exceed the plan allotment typically cost $.25 to $.60 per minute.
Summary of Family Plans
In addition to price, anytime minutes and periods, and early termination fee, there are other factors to consider before signing a mobile phone contract.- Calling area
- Cost of additional minutes
- Roaming charges
- Cell phone discounts included with the plan
- Text messaging fees
Cingular permits you to carry your unused anytime minutes to the next month for a specified number of months.
I Wireless' early termination is less punitive if you are within the last 6 months of your contract.
U.S. Cellular did not charge an activation fee at the time this chart was compiled.