Pocket Communications

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Pocket Communications is a PCS CDMA 1xRTT provider of unlimited cellular service based in San Antonio, TX. They offer plans similar to those of CricKet Communications, except at less expense per month, more expense on phones and with better coverage in its coverage area.

Pocket Communications, besides covering San Antonio, has cellular service to the north along major roads, reaching as far as Fredericksburg, TX, and to the south including Laredo. Plans have been made to extend coverage to the Rio Grande valley. Also, an unconfirmed call to Pocket customer service suggests that other major Texas markets, including Housten, Dallas\Fort Worth and Austin will be covered in the future. Unlike other unlimited carriers, ocket seems to pursue a monolithic coverage model, where all markets are connected by cellular coverage, rather than having islands of service across the nation. They will soon release roaming capability via a partnership with Verizon Wireless to boost coverage, likely on April 1, 2007, according to RCR Wireless News and San Antonio's local journals.

Pocket has in nine months signed on 100,000 customers. They offer a $30 discount on new service to former CricKet customers in the area, if they bring an old CricKet phone to a Pocket store. CricKet has actually drastically reduced the price of their cellular plans in the San Antonio market to compete with Pocket, as Pocket sells unlimited local calling for $28 + taxes a month (taxes seem to be 20% in the Fredericksburg market), and unlimited local and long distance calling, text messaging, picture messaging, caller ID, call waiting and call forwarding for $37 + taxes a month. 1xRTT data access is also available, at an additional $5 per month, and unlimited directory asistance is available for $3 a month. Calling features can also be added piecemail to the $28 plan, with pricing ranging from $3 to $5 per month per feature. Additionally, Pocket offers a prepaid funds account, Value Pocket, fom which can be drawn such features as long distance, outgoing text messaging (incoming messages are free) and picture messages if such features are not added to the subscriber's plan.

Pocket has in the last nine months offered a variety of CDMA cellular phones, with makers ranging from Nokia and Motorola to Audiovox and Kyocera. As of March 29, 2007, they list fifteen models of cellular phones as available on their website, though they can be bought only at local dealers (which include most HEB stores in Pocket's service area), and some of the phones are harder to find than others. Phone prices range from $99 to $599 (for the Palm Treo 650) plus tax and include all fees and the first month of service, whatever plan a subscriber may choose. There is no contract, so all features are prepaid, allowing for flexibility, though this also means that phone prices are notoriously high (the Motorola KRZR K1m is $359 plus tax). However, Pocket offers a 40% discount on "B-stock" phones (phones that have been returned within Pocket's 60-minute-or-7-day return period) to current subscribers. However, returns (and thus B-stock phones) are only offered at Pocket-owned stores as a rule, and such phones sell out very quickly.