What you need to know about
Sprint PCS cellular service

Sprint PCS (short for Personal Communication Service) was one of the first U.S. cellullar carriers to move its network into 3G technology.

Since then, the carrier has spent a good part of their effort making improvements to their CDMA2000 network and handsets.

Network improvements:

The carrier offers an impressive assortment of multimedia options, such as streaming video and audio, that's available through Sprint Vision Plans.

And the carrier now offers "push to talk"(PTT) phones that allow you to place walkie-talkie style calls much like Nextel's handsets.

The Carrier's Weaknesses?

The carrier's PCS technology uses a digital network that operates on a higher frequency than most original cell phone networks.

Networks with higher frequencies tend to have shorter ranges. They also typically need more towers than a service using a standard digital technology.

Because of this, your phone's ability to roam may be more limited. And, any calls placed out of the carrier's network will be subject to roaming charges.

Also, the carrier's push to talk phones have not been able to compete with Nextel's handsets. However, most analysts expect major improvements to the PTT style phones now that the merge with Nextel is complete.

Sprint's cell phone plans and incentives:

The Fair and Flexible Plan - protects the user from excessive overage charges if the subscriber exceeds their allotment of monthly anytime minutes.

Family Fair and Flexible Plans include Unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling to any Sprint user, and *most Nextel subscribers.

*May exclude some Nextel users in certain markets

Free Incoming Calling Plans - provide free, unlimited incoming calling on the carrier's PCS network.

Other things you should know:

Recently, two independent studies were conducted on the wireless industry to help determine which national carrier provides the best all-around service to their wireless subscribers.

Here is a summary of each study's findings:

In the JD Power study, Sprint ranked first in call quality and first try connections in two of the six regions surveyed. The wireless company placed "somewhere in the middle" in the other four regions.

The company's performance ranking was much the same in the Consumer Reports study. This survey found the carrier to have "middling levels of customer satisfaction".

The FCC report also ranked Sprint in the middle of the pack when comparing complaints filed with its agency.

Free Cell Phones and Special Offers:

The LG LX550 (also known as the LG Fusic Phone) has the ability to stream music to either a stereo Bluetooth headset or a nearby FM radio! Plus, you can download music and videos right to your phone, take print-quality photos or short video clips and expand the available memory.

The Sprint Treo 700p is the latest Palm Treo addition. Features include Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera/video capture, an MP3 player, streaming multimedia support. The Palm Treo 700p also allows you to synchronize your email, calendar and contacts, and read and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

The Samsung A920 offers complete support for Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store. The Samsung MM-A920 also features a 1.3 Megapixel camera/video, an expandable memory card slot, Bluetooth, and advanced voice-activated dialing.

Or, view all current special offers through Sprint PCS.

Prepaid Phones:

Sprint does not offer any prepaid cell phones, but does lend its network in joint ventures with various prepaid cell phone companies.

Prepaid cell phone services that use the carrier's all digital network include; Liberty Wireless, Virgin Mobile, Tracfone, Venture Mobile, and Cricket.

Trial Period:

Sprint allows 14 days to try out your cell phone, the least amount of time allowed for a trial period.