Communication Options in Los Angeles
Landlines
If you’ve planned ahead and have applied for and received your Social Security Number, then opening a telephone and internet account with a provider is simply calling a service operator and giving your number. Service providers use this form of identification to check up on past defaults and debts. If you don’t yet have your number then a visit to a shop is necessary where you will need to bring your passport and a copy of your rental or homeowners agreement. Telephone service operation takes less than 24 hours.
Service providers are jumping over themselves to offer the best deals. Bundle offers such as landline, cable, and internet are common and are definitely worth comparing, although prices are fairly standard between providers.
The following telephone companies also offer internet, cable, and cell phone packages. Order online, over the telephone, or in person at one of numerous high street stores. Provider websites breakdown individual plans to suit your needs. Pay either for local or long-distance calls. Bear in mind that long-distance refers to the rest of the USA and not countries abroad.
AT&T
Home phone plans from: $12.37 (per month, limited usage), $19.95 (per month unlimited) to $26 (per month) with 12 features.
International plans from $1.00 – $5.00 service fee plus country rate per minute (200 countries).
Verizon
Landline plans start from $19.50 per month.
International plan from $4.99 with city-specific plan to $19.99 per month for pre-bulk credit. With $19.99 Verizon World Plan 500, calls to the UK is $0.08 per minute, to Canada, France, Germany is $0.10, $0.15 to China.
Time Warner Cable
http://www.timewarnercable.com
Landline digital plan: $39.95 per month.
International plan for pre-bulk credit: $19.95 per month which includes 1,000 minutes to over 100 countries.
Mobile/Cell Phones
Smartphones such as Blackberries, Droids and iPhones are the cell phones of choice among the motivated business intellectuals, the play-hard-work-hardly heiress type and/or well-to-do college students in this town.
The mobile phone industry has caught up with a vengeance and is offering a multitude of phones, plans and gadgets to high-tech, as well as, fashion-conscious customers. Recently, too, pay-as-you-go plans have made an appearance state-side as an alternative for parents fearful of having to fork over for their teenager’s hefty cell phone bill.
As with a landline, if you have your social security number, you can sign up very easily. If not, be sure to take your passport and copy of the rental agreement to one of the provider’s stores to begin your service.
AT&T – http://www.att.com
Individual plans from:
$39.99 (450 minutes) to $99.99 (unlimited) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between AT&T customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends and unused minutes can be rolled over to the following month.
Family plans from:
$59.99 (450 minutes) to $119.99 (unlimited) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between AT&T customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends and unused minutes can be rolled over to the following month.
Pay-as-you-go plan:
$50 monthly plan includes unlimited talk, text, and access to the internet. Data plan sold separately. Unused minutes can be rolled over if refilled before the balance expires. Use within 30 days.
$2 daily unlimited plan includes text and photo/video/sound message nationwide. Pay only on the days used. Data plan sold separately. Use within 30 days.
$0.10 per minute plan has $0.20 per text sent or received domestically, $0.25 per message sent, $0.20 to receive to Canada, Mexico and other countries, or package can be purchased separately. Use within 30 days.
Verizon – http://www.verizonwireless.com
Individual plans from:
$39.99 (450 minutes) to $69.99 (unlimited) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between Verizon customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends.
Family plans from:
$69.98 (700 minutes) to $119.99 (unlimited) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between Verizon customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends.
Pre Paid Plans – no long term contract, you can pay per month or per day
Monthly plans – $44.99 (monthly access fee) + 45 cents per minute to $74.99 (unlimited) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between Verizon customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends.
Daily plans – $0 per day with 25 cents per minute (no night/weekend deal or M to M free calls) to $0.99 per day or $1.99 depending on how you use it.
Sprint – http://www.sprint.com
Individual plans from $29.99 – $99.99 per month.
Individual plans from:
$29.99 (200 minutes) to $99.99 (unlimited) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between Sprint customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends.
Family plans from:
$69.98 (700 minutes) to $189.98 (unlimited including data) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between Verizon customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends.
T-Mobile – http://www.t-mobile.com
Individual plans from:
$34.98 (500 minutes) talk only to $119.98 (unlimited talk, text, data) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between AT&T customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends and unused minutes can be rolled over to the following month.
Family plans from:
$59.98 (1,000 minutes) to $219.98 (unlimited including data) per month. They include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile (between T-Mobile customers) and Unlimited Nights/Weekends and unused minutes.
Other
Smaller phone service providers like NET (Network Enhanced Technologies) Long Distance Service company puts up a good competition. It can be used from home, office or mobile phone. Domestic State to State calls are 3.9 cents per minute. No monthly fee and low rates for international calls. For example, 3.9 cents to UK, Japan, Italy, Israel and 3 cents to China, Russia and Hong Kong, etc.
Many IP based communication methods are also available for much less. SKYPE offers free call, free video call, free chat between members (free to download and sign up) as well as a cheaper alternative to call out to a regular landline phone.
Viber is also a free, IP based phone option with a free call and free SMS messages between members. It is also free to download and free to sign up.
Prepaid Phone Cards
These are not as popular as they used to be, now that we have so many options to get in contact with people for free or cheaper. But for those who still prefer to use them, they are sold at grocery stores, liquor stores and convenient stores.
