Expert: DebiN - 10/13/2009

Question
Hi,
    I have never had any form of cell phone before.  I am only interested now because I frequently have to travel between Warren, Bluffton, and sometimes Marion Indiana.  My concern is if something should happen on one of the many county roads, I probably wouldn't be able to contact someone if I had car trouble, needed tell someone I'm running late, or needed help otherwise.

    So, for emergency and family or business contact purposes, what cell phone would both have reception in this area and be the least expensive option?  I do not need any features except voice-mail in case someone should try to contact me while I'm traveling.

     I'm guessing a 'pay as you go' plan would be what I'm looking for but I am troubled that some of these require you to purchase new minutes within a certain time frame or your phone expires.  I plan on using very few minutes each month if at all.

   Any advice you can give is much appreciated and I thank you for helping me navigate the intimidating and unfamiliar area of cell phone plans.

Answer
All prepaid plans have minutes that are only good for a certain amount of time. There is no way around this, unfortunately. Prepaid still may be your best choice if you only need to use the phone in emergencies or rarely, but know that the minutes will expire. If you pay for $100.00 worth of minutes with several of the carriers, they are good for 12 months. In the rural areas that you are traveling, you would need to check to see who would have the best coverage. I would recommend looking at Verizon and Sprint's footprint first (CDMA is typically better in rural areas) and then AT&T and T-Mobile. Stick with a major provider. Likely, Verizon will be your best bet. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN