New unlimited cell phone to cell phone calls
 

I just learned recently from AT&T our cell phone provider that they now, upon request (or you can provision it online at your account), offer free calling between cell phones of all carriers (whereas, it used to be just free calls between AT&T cell phones); ie, an AT&T cell phone calling a Verizon cell phone does not get charged for the minutes. Apparently this service just became available from AT&T in early March, 2011.

I don't know if the other service provider companies offer the same thing, but would assume they do, since it is being called by AT&T "an agreement between competitors"; but apparently it is not automatically applied to an account (at least, not with AT&T); you have to ask.

Since so many calls today are between cell phones this may offer a savings on many people's accounts, to where they can reduce their rate plan since there will be fewable billable minutes.

Freeda -

The only thing I could find about the free calling you mention was this (as well as other sites on the same topic):
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tech...ess-japan.html

It says that it's a temporary thing being offered to AT&T and Verizon subscribers. Free wireless and texting.......to Japan.

AT&T does have something called "A-List" where you can designate specific numbers - cell or landline - that you can call for free:
http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-c...&t=solutionTab

Verizon's has something similar called "Friends and Family":
http://wirelesssupport.verizon.com/f...family.html?t=

Other companies might have their own versions as well.

Bill :)

Freeda,
I too read this on a few websites when AT&T announced this on Feb 11 of this year.
I also had it confirmed at the AT&T store.

I just checked the AT&T website, and could find nothing about it. I'm thinking of going with AT&T when I move down there and am a bit frustrated......they tell you everything at the store, promise the world and explain things well......but you go to their website and it's like pulling teeth finding out anything.

What you say IS true, but I sadly cannot find a webpage showing it.

Frank

Here is a link.....

http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...mobile_calling

I checked further with AT&T; the service is new and is called Unlimited Mobile to Any Mobile; and to qualify for it there are two requirements:

(1)you must have unlimited texting (which we already had on our plan for a long time, so I didn't realize that you have to have this service in order to qualify; in other words, your unlimited texting plan will now also include unlimited cell phone to cell phone calling regardless of the service provider of the cell phone you are calling, at least if you are calling from an AT&T cell phone); and

(2) you must have a qualifying rate plan of a minimum of $39.99 for an individual phone account; or a minimum rate plan of $69.99 for a family account (we have five cell phones on our account).

For us, this will be a savings, since we can move down to a less expensive rate plan, because most of the phones we and our children, (three of whom are on our account), call are cell phones, many of them not being AT&T users; so now those calls will be free.

(I would agree that their website is not very user friendly, and I have told AT&T this for years). It is on the website, but very obscurely; sort of like going on a scavenger hunt or being in the Amazing Race, unless I have missed an easier way to find it.

The problem is that the unlimited mobile to any mobile is an 'added-on' feature to a messaging/texting plan, so it is not intuitively easy to find unless you know that.

Go to www.att.com click on 'Wireless' then 'Explore' then 'Wireless' (again); then 'Messaging and Internet' then 'Messaging' then 'Get Started' (near the bottom) then 'Messaging Feature'; then scroll down on the listings to 'Unlimited messaging and mobile to any mobile calling'. The unlimited messaging/texting is $20 for an individual plan, $30 for a family plan; if you have that service, then 'unlimited calling mobile to any mobile' is now included in the cost of the messaging/texting plan, for new service; (but apparently, from what I am told by AT&T, existing customers have to ask to have it added on even if they have the qualifying messaging/texting plan).

For existing AT&T cell phone services users, I was told that the new 'unlimited mobile to any mobile calling' will show up after you login at your online account as an available feature under "Manage features" that you can add it if your current rate plan and text plan qualifies you for it (see my post above); if you are an AT&T user and don't see it online after logging in, this is probably why; but you can call AT&T directly from any AT&T cell phone by dialing 611 (this is yet another free call - something that I love!) - or call AT&T's regular number 800-331-0500 from any phone (but you will be charged minutes for this call if made from a cell phone during peak hours) to find out more about it or how you can add it / or become qualified to add it.

To avoid possibly getting a headache, I would definitely just call them and forget trying to figure it out online - we learned about it by 'accident' when we were at an AT&T store and they added it for us!!

Thanks Freeda!
I've posted about this before, but I've been with Verizon for years. I patiently waited for the iphone, and now that Verizon has it, I'm actually thinking about switching to At&T for the following reasons;

1) Rollover minutes
2) Simultaneous voice and data. (Verizon CAN'T do this)
3) Better Gov't discount
4) unlimited mobile to mobile

Also, my verizon just does not work that well in Leesburg. Folks who have AT&T down in Florida seem to say it works well. Even though Verizon is king up here in Western NY, I'm told that AT&T has gotten better up here also.

So, I want an iphone....but the iphone5 should be out in June/July, so I'll wait for that.....

thanks, Frank