MOM, DAD…. CAN I HAVE A MOBILE PHONE?
Evens Plissint, Customer Service Representative, CBCI Telecom
Back to school: To help you guide your kids to the best (and furthermore economic) wireless experience
What is the best answer to the question? There is none really.
And what about how you can save yourselves from hefty charges?!
One of eHow.com’s article on How to monitor a teen’s cell phone use describes three basic and fundamental principles:
- Continuing communication with your teen
- Itemized list of charges and usage for mobile phone
- Additional monitoring services, if needed
Before elaborating on the above, let’s talk a bit about a few interesting stats:
- Average student’s bill range between $41 to $60. But 57.5% of them are on family share plans and don’t pay the bills themselves.
- 9 out of 11 mobile phone commercials show teens using the handhelds.
- In 24 hours… they sleep about 8 hours and go to school for another 7. In the 9 hours that remain, average teenagers mobile users send about an average of 10 messages per hour for a total of 90 a day and an approximate 2,700 for one month!
In most cases the prepaid option might very well suffice to the needs of your youth. To assume that a teenager needs or requires the same or equivalent type of usage as his parents is an overstatement and might mislead you into giving him something he does not really need.
Communicate with them the boundaries that you feel are reasonable and explain to him/her what will happen if those boundaries are not respected. Setting boundaries are not to be considered as limitations but as a guideline to respect.
* He/She must understand that to have such a device on its own is a privilege and what *
* comes with it are likable benefits with responsibilities *
- Itemized list of charges and usage for mobile phone
- Additional monitoring services, if needed
Make sure to request detailed billing from your Bell Mobility customer service representative. This will help you see the detailed usage and to discuss any irregularities. Also ensure that only your name is on the account. Adding them as a user will allow them to:
- Add/remove features
- Change hardware
- Request the account balance and make payment arrangements with accounts receivable
With so many things that can be done, ensuring control on your teenager’s account will reduce excessive usage and features adding without your knowledge. This will also force them to communicate their needs for a new feature and explain its necessity if need be.
Therefore as parents, if you want to keep all the hair you have and not lose it when the bill comes in, here are a few tips from our CBCI employees that will surely reduce your teen’s mobile phone bills:
- Instead of paying 22.50$ for 150 text messages on a pay-per-use basis, add a text messaging bundle that includes 2500 text messages for only $10.
- Fab 5 is the way to go! 5 numbers of your choice, and includes incoming/outgoing calls, and free text messaging.
- Restrict or block the Internet service. And besides… they already have it in their room.
- If you do have to give a mobile phone, security should be its primary use. Call restrictions on incoming/outgoing calls are possible. Speak to your customer service representative for more information.
- Media phones are almost just like the Ipod they already have and that they cannot take with them to school and or at day camp anyway. Same thing applies to mobile phones.
- Subscribe to detailed billing!
A couple of years ago, we used to ask our teens to get up from the TV and now some (if not all) of them would probably be willing to give up the television before their mobile phones…Maybe its time for us to sit down and enjoy the show.
We would like to extend special thanks to the following CBCI employees for submitting their tips for this article: John Gomez – MONTREAL, Christine Picard – MONTREAL, Jodie Paradis – MONTREAL, André Martel – QUEBEC.
Historical Timeline of Canadian Telecommunications Achievements
Michel Blais, Technical Service – Coordinator, CBCI Telecom
Since this is a back to School special, it's a perfect time for a history lesson in telecommunication achievements in Canada. Lets start with the 1800s.
July 26, 1874
Alexander Graham Bell discloses idea for a telephone to his father in Brantford, Ontario.
August 10, 1876
Alexander Graham Bell's Double Pole Membrane Transmitter and Iron Box Receiver are used to transmit and receive the world's first one-way long distance telephone call from Brantford to Paris, Ontario.
1880
Bell Canada is incorporated.
February 1, 1881
Bell Canada installs its first public telephone in Lancefield’s Stationery Store, in Hamilton, Ontario. The telephone is not equipped with a coin collector and customers pay the storekeeper.
June 11, 1881
Bell Canada successfully places the world's first international submarine telephone cable between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan (US).
1885
Alberta's first telephone call, between Fort Edmonton and the St. Albert mission.
1887
The first long distance call, between Edmonton and Battleford, Saskatchewan.
December 7, 1895
The Northern Electric & Manufacturing Co., now Nortel Networks, is organized, as a spin-off of the Bell Mechanical Department.
April 13, 1900
A common battery service is introduced in Bell Canada’s territory in Ottawa, Ontario. Instead of turning a crank on the telephone to signal the operator, the customer merely picks up the receiver. The batteries are moved from the customers’ premises to the central office. They are still there today, maintaining telephone service even during a power failure.
More to come in the next issues of the Wireless Insider. Stay Tuned.
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Samsung Instinct™
Touch Screen, GPS navigation, music, TV and Camera
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Jawbone 2.0 Bluetooth® Headset in Black
Jawbone 2.0 is the world’s first adaptive Bluetooth headset for mobile phones.
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TANDBERG T1
The instant telepresence experience designed for the executive office or high-end collaboration room – available anytime you need it.
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MVP-5200i 5.2" Modero® ViewPoint® Touch Panel with Intercom
Sleek. Sexy. Powerful. ULTRA BRIGHT WIDESCREEN DISPLAY, WIRELESS CONVENIENCE AND SECURITY
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TLOMA
September 19 to 20th, 2008
Videoconferencing and Wireless Product Demonstration
more info
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9e Symposium de la TéléSanté
September 24 to 26, 2008
Hilton de Québec
Videoconferencing and Multimedia Product Demonstration
more info
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CBCI Telecom Southeastern Ontario TECH TOUR
September 9th
Kingston Convention Center
Showcase of latest Wireless and Wireline Technology offerings from many partners
including: Bell Mobility and Bell Canada.
more info
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