
              	              The Cellular Scam
			         by Marlenus

	I've had sort of what I would call a scam for the past year or so,
but up until recently, it never occured to me to mention it to anybody,
because I really didn't think of it as being a scam.

	For over a year now, Cellular One - Boston has offered a calling
plan called the Leisure plan.  This plan gives you virtually free calling
priviliges during offpeak hours.  I say virutally free because sometimes
a landline fee will apply, depending on how sophisticated the phone system
is in the area that you are placing your call to.  However the MAXIMUM you
will be charged when placing a call in the C1 Boston area is a $0.06 connect
fee and $0.016/minute.  Less than $1/hour.

	Offpeak hours for the Leisure Plan are 7pm-7am Monday thru Friday,
all weekends and holidays.  Peak hours nail you with $0.50/min charges.
Avoid these at all costs :').  Now, the Leisure Plan is no longer available,
but the Night Owl plan is.  This is the same, except offpeak hours are
9pm-7am Monday thru Friday and peak time is $0.44/min.  This plan costs
$29/month.

	Now the good stuff.  Cellular phones are available these days at
unheard of prices.  If you look, you can get a Motorola DPC-550 flip phone
for $39-$59 with a 1 year cellular contract.  Also, many times, you can
haggle and get the activation fee dropped (usually around $40).

	Now, here's the good part.  Cellular One Boston coverage is HUGE!
It goes west to Auburn, MA (past Worcester), south even covering parts of
the Cape, north to Derry, NH and Portsmouth, NH.  Anyplace in this circle
is considered a local call.  If you are in this area and call during offpeak
to any other place in this area, the charges are less than $1/hr.  So, you
can use this to cut down your regular AT&T bills when calling friends (You're
already saving money and screwing AT&T out of $$$).

	It gets even better.  Any place that is a normal local call to 
anyplace C1 has a tower is also included.  So, even though you can't call 
out of Nashua, NH or Manchester, NH (they aren't part of C1 Boston), you can 
STILL call in locally, because C1 has a tower in Derry, NH (which is in C1 
Boston's area).  These towns are a local call from Derry.

	How can you use this with your computer?  When you sign up, you
can get a phone number almost anyplace in this area you choose.  Get one
local to your home.  Also, get call forwarding.  It's free.  If you live
in Boston and want to call a Nashua, NH board, call forward your phone to
the board, then just dial your cell phone from your computer.  Viola.
Connect time for under $1/hour.  Once you are connected, you can even
unforward and people can still call in.  Your cell phone is not tied up.

	The only drawback to this whole thing is you can't call a whole
series of boards at once in case one is busy.  You have to change the 
forwarding every time you want to call a different board.  But, it's almost
free and perfectly legal.  AT&T.... bite me!  I save money with this damned
thing.
	
	For Cellular One dealers near you, call them at 800-CELL-ONE.  There's
no reason not to do this.  You can call 603/508 and 617 boards for almost
nothing.  You can call friends that you used to use AT&T for for almost nothing,
and you can get into this for under $50 if you search hard enough.  Plus you
have the benefit of a 6 oz. pocket sized phone you can take anyplace.  Never
miss another party, and you screw AT&T.  I even have two numbers, a 603
number so all my NH friends can call me for free (I used to live in NH but
moved) and a 508 number local to me for BBSing (make sure your phone has
'dual NAM' capability if you want two numbers, or get a second phone).  If
you're a SYSOP, you can set up forwarding lines any place you like.  In
Boston and want a NH dial in number?  No problem.  Just shut off the 
forwarding from 7am-9pm.  Turn it on afterwards.  You can do it from anyplace.
Hell, voice mail and three way calling are even free if you want 'em.

	Any questions, drop me a line on Warezhouse or Hideaway in 508.

Cheers, Marlenus

