Conference 7.286::cellular

    
    	Cellular ONE no longer offers the Associate plan to new subscrib-
    	ers, so someone signing up with them now would pay more than $11
    	per month.
    
    	It could be the same situation with the cheaper rate plan with
    	BANM.
    

Do you have a NH number (well, Merrimack NH) or a Boston/Derry NH number?  The
10.99 rate was for the Boston market, while the 15.99 rate is the NH market.  At
least that was the case when I got mine.

Burns

>
>Do you have a NH number (well, Merrimack NH) or a Boston/Derry NH number?  The

My number is area code 508 , live in Worcester, Ma.    Thanks for the quick
respones.   I have been told by the rep that the "cheaper" plan is no longer
an option, except of course if you got in early enough and then you just
continue to renew.  With the small amount of calls we make, I'm just looking
for the cheapest PER MONTH charge I can get.   Maybe I've got it !!

Heard of some name of a person in OGO, where I work, who represents digital
with BANM.  There was rumors of trying to get some corporate phones for the
company with BANM, and they would offer a cheaper plan to employees as well
if this were to happen.   Anyone else hear that or know the contact here in 
Stow ?

Thanks,
Dave

RE: .3

> I have been told by the rep that the "cheaper" plan is no longer
> an option, except of course if you got in early enough and then you just
> continue to renew.  With the small amount of calls we make, I'm just looking
> for the cheapest PER MONTH charge I can get.

This is exactly the reason that the cheaper plans were closed to new users
(so I was told by the BANM rep).  Folks like you (and me) who don't make a
lot of calls each month and want real cheap service.  The cell companies
started the "discount" rate plans, expecting them to be for "high volume"
users.  When they weren't making as much money as they had expected, they
cut back on the discount rate plans.

Now if we can just get the cell companies to follow AOL's lead and offer
$19.95 per month of flat rate unlimited usage.  Of course we'd never
actually be able to place any calls...  :-) 

Regards,

Dave Nelson

I'd think prices that encouraged "low air-time" customers would be a good thing for
them.  After all, most of their costs are fixed.  If they can get a lot of $15
customers without having to provide any extra capacity, they are that much better
off.  

Of course, you notice that I am neither a BANM executive nor an economist.

Burns

The old BANM basic plan was NECP and is no longer available.
It was  11.99/month, .39 Peak, .29 Off-Peak, and .05
LandLine charge (which really makes it .44 Peak, .34
Off-Peak)

The new corporate / employee plan you are talking about with
BANM is 10.99/month, 10 Minutes Included, For > 10 minutes
usage, you are charged .35 Peak, and .25 Off-Peak.  This 
is the plan being offered to Fallon Employees, as well as
Tufts Doctors I believe.

In order to get this rate for the employees, Digital has 
to include it as a provision in a contract for BANM 
Corporate Use (cell use which is billed to Digital as part
of the business, not employees getting their own service).

This negotiation seems to be regional, and from my 
understanding, we (Digital) have to sign up for Boston area
Cell Business with BANM to get the 10.99 rate for employees 
in the Boston area.  We currently use Cell-One for this
business.

It really isn't as confusing as I'm making it sound ... but
for simplicity, and this is just my understanding,

Without any Corporate Contract for Corporate Cell Business which
is the current situation:

OLD	$11.99 / 0 Min Included / .39 Peak / .29 Off-Peak
NEW	$15.99 / 15Min Included / .40 Peak / .30 Off-Peak

With a Corporate Contract for Corporate Cell Business which may or 
may not ever happen:

	$10.99 / 10Min Included / .35 Peak / .25 Off-Peak

The Corporate Contract is being negotiated now, but whether
or not we sign up, and whether or not we include Boston
business, and the Employee discount add-on is all up to the 
folks wearing the business hats in OGO and BANM.  I figure 
the deal will be made on a basis of benefit for Digital as 
a corporate customer, and not whether or not we want to 
offer employess discounted service.

Digital is currently waiting for a revised contract proposal 
from Tom Fonseca (BANM), and that should be delivered to Chuck 
Stradford in OGO some time in the coming weeks.

From a personal basis - I sure hope DEC does go with BANM
as I think CDMA is going to be a better solution than TDMA
in the long run, especially because 100% of the US market 
is going to be covered by CDMA in the near future based on 
the FCC licensing numbers.

Hope this helps,  if you have any questions, drop me an
email and I'll do my best to further explain.

Regards,

Ken (current 11.99 NECP owner)
 

    
    	That $10.99 deal would work out quite well, I think.
    
    	I'm paying that with no included airtime at Cellular ONE, and the
    	per minute rates are more also [36/34, I think, vs 35/25].
    

    I think that BANM has almost as many rate plans as the airlines.  :-)
 
    We just heard of the NECP plan at 11.99/mo.  I have the CPH3 plan at
    11.00/mo (metro Boston).  Same air time and land line charges.  There 
    are other affinity plans with lower costs (which may or may not still 
    be offered).  It depends on the number of members.  Some state employees 
    association (i.e. labor union) I heard of has an even less costly plan 
    (based on their size).  Your milage may vary.  :-)

    Regards,

    Dave  

    
    Is there any new information regarding negotiation of corporate rates
    for BANM? I am nearing the end of my year contract with my current phone 
    and would like to switch into the Corporate rate or if not look for a 
    better deal from another carrier.
    
    I tried calling up BANM to inquire about the Digital Corporate rate and
    they were clueless (Cellular-One was alot less complicated). They
    mentioned I need to work with someone internally (salesperson?) here
    at DEC to get the rate. Anyone know if we have negotiated a corporate
    rate and if so how one goes about getting it????
    
    -Pete

There are flyers posted around MRO for a BANM rate of $11.99 per 
month, with ten free minutes of airtime included, and p/op charges of 
37/27 [landline charges included].

I'll see if I can find the contact number ... I remember the guy's 
name was Bill.

1-800-325-9280

Free MOT TEL-TAC 250 phone [$10 sales tax charged on phone, though].

Case and adapter can be purchased for $10 each.

	That 800 number is Global Cellular, a reseller for Cellular One,
	not BANM.

	I've never seen a cellular one rate with landline charges
	included.  Something's wrong.

The flyer does mention BANM, but it's in the "Current BANM customers 
may not be eligible" context.

Why would Cellular ONE refuse current BANM customers?

How old is the flyer?  Maybe Global Cellular switched representation.

/john

I just saw it towards the end of last week, in a place where I 
wouldn't be able to miss it, so it's quite recent.

Offer expires on 05/31.