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Cell Phone Companies Target Young, Old

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By RICHARD MULLINS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 5, 2007

TAMPA - This week, two of America's largest cell phone companies are launching calling programs - but targeting customers at opposite ends of the age range.
Verizon Wireless is kicking off a program targeting the elderly cell phone customer. Verizon has started offering America's Choice 65 Plus, a program for customers needing fewer minutes than most - 200 anytime minutes and 500 night and weekend minutes for $29.99 monthly.

Verizon also is launching a phone geared for older audiences, the Coupe, with large screen fonts, color-coded buttons and screen fonts, and dedicated buttons for emergency contacts. The phone costs $19.99 with a two-year contract.

The other company, AT&T, formerly Cingular, is aiming its newest service at children or, rather, their parents.

AT&T's system, launched Tuesday, makes it far easier to control just how and when children can use their phones for calls, text messages and downloads such as ring tones.

Unlike systems that require parents to take their children's phones to and navigate a complex series of menus to block phone numbers, programming the new AT&T system is akin to online shopping or booking a hotel online.

Parents go to an AT&T Web site, then use pull-down menus and calendars to block calls or text messaging during a certain time of day or week, such as school hours or study time. Parents can exempt their own cell numbers so they can still be reached in an emergency. All 911 calls still go through.

Parents also can block certain phone numbers, limit how much their children can spend downloading things such as ring tones, restrict the number of text messages sent and choose how many minutes of calling time children may use.

The system, called 'Smart Limits,' costs $4.99 per month per line controlled and works on most AT&T phones. Only older TDMA phones don't use the system.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at rmullins@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7919.

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