Posted on: Tuesday, August 28, 2001

Didgets
Phone card comes with a phone

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

With [Freeup], you can get a digital phone without signing a contract.

Young people today, they just don't want to commit. Actually, even older people have been known to have a problem with that.

But it's the young crowd that Verizon Wireless is targeting with its new [Freeup] service (and yes, that's how the product name is spelled). The idea is that the nation's 34 million 16- to 24-year-olds hate the idea of signing contracts, partly because they're such a mobile bunch that they don't know what wireless phone network (read: college campus or new job) they're going to end up in next.

The service is a pay-as-you go package starting at $74.99, which includes a reconditioned digital phone, activation fee and $50 in prepaid phone minutes. Customers spend their allotment at the rate of a nickel per text message received or sent and a dime per night or weekend minute (a peak-time minute costs a quarter to 35 cents, depending on how much time you prepay).

It also includes domestic long-distance calling, voice mail and a little reminder when callers get down to their last four minutes.

This is far from the cheapest rate offered by Verizon or others. But failure to commit comes with a price tag, you know.