Talk:Prepaid mobile phone

New to wikipedia. Have not figured out how to cite refrence. Change that occured was from a report on prepaid telephone link: http://www.sfu.ca/cprost/prepaid/docs/Gow-PrivacyRightsAndPrepaidCommunicationServices.pdf As I have been doing work on this material there are other changes I will make to keep it up with current knowlege. However the main one is the name needs to change. In all the litrature it is refered to a prepaid mobile phones. This title is confusing and misleading by anybody who want to look at this information. Also this report quoted also has some demographical information about prepaid mobile phone that should also get included. Jumpspark 00:38, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

I think the concept was first developed in Portugal by the TMN company with the MIMO mobile phone. Correct me if I'm wrong. --- Mmcarvalho 15:22, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

Same year as Eircells launch, 1995. Eircell always claimed to be the first, anyway --Kiand 14:43, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

See the article on the Portuguese company TMN or Telecomunicações Móveis Nacionais, SA.--- Mmcarvalho 16:11, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

I did, which is where I saw that it was also 1995 for TMN, albeit towards the end of that year. I have no idea when Eircell Ready To Go started in 1995. --Kiand 22:30, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Yes, you are both right. I was leader of the Service Design Team in Eircell. Ready to Go was launched at the end of October 1997 and was influenced by successful prepaid mobile propositions elsewhere including Timmy (Italy). Dublinblue 12:48, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Article title

Wouldn't Prepaid mobile phone be a better title than Pay as you go (phone)? —Tokek 00:41, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

-Yes! or Prepaid Wireless... -Tghare

Except that a web search of "Prepaid" (wireless or mobile) typically also results in contract-type services. I would agree that this doesn't make logical sense because a monthly contract service is paid after the service is rendered. Since they are commonly referred to as "Pay-As-You-Go" or PAYG phones, I would leave the title as is. ~ CJP —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.77.50.54 (talk) 13:14, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Should be changed back. Most countries use "PAYG" and it's less ambiguous. Turkeyphan^t 19:43, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

I disagree. The term "pay as you go" is in many cases a registerd brand or copyrighted advertising slogan. It is not a generically descriptive term. There is nothing in that phrase itself to indicate that it refers to mobile phone services. The phrase could conceivably be applied to totally different things such as train fares. The title "Prepaid mobile phone" leaves no doubt about the subject of the article. Please read the WP:TITLE guidelines. Roger (talk) 20:38, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

Then why not "Pay as you go phone"? Turkeyphan^t 10:52, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

hm ! I have come here looking for "pay as you go phone", as I have a phone plan that is neither pre-paid nor post paid : I really do "pay as I go" ie, my phone provider debits my credit account when my credit with the provider falls below a certain amount - which is quite small and refundable if necessary. So I believe I am not paying in advance { pre-paid], nor do I receive an account monthly {post paid}. Should I cancel the service, I get a refund of unused credit, so I believe therefore that I am only using my own money "as I go.." <sigh>. I'll vote for the article being "Prepaid mobile phone" Feroshki (talk) 06:26, 19 November 2011 (UTC)

Prepaid Cellular

lets get some cites into this Wiki -Tghare

Article needs work

The article needs work. I created a proper intro but their is more that can be done. Some suggestions:

• The article ahould explain how pay as you go commonly work such as adding airtime via a prepaid card, the fact that you have to add airtime at certain intervals (every 2 or 3 months for example) in order to keep your mobile phone and it's associated number activated (at least the U.S.).
• Create a sections explaining the advantages and disadvantages of prepaid vs. standard monthly fee based mobile phone service.
• Consider moving this to "Prepaid cellular service" or "Prepaid mobile phone service" or something like that as already suggested.

--Cab88 19:43, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

Requested move

• The title is not a proper noun; therefore, under WP:MOS, only the first word should be capitalized. This needs an admin to do because there is already a redirect at the proper title. --Russ (talk) 15:33, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Other countries

I can't vouch for any of the other countries mentioned, but some of the information for prepaid phones in the UK (usually called pay-as-you-go) seems incorrect or misleading. I'm not completely sure of myself, however, so I'm only suggesting someone else look at it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Raylin (talk • contribs) 22:22, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

What about Africa?

There's a humungous hole in this article! It doesn't say anything about how prepaid cellular services have made telephony and internet available to millions of people all over Africa who would otherwise never be able to afford it. In many African countries "airtime" (as it is called in English speaking Southern Africa) is available in units as small as US$1 or even less. See Roger (talk) 11:41, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Patents

As should be explained, the some of the patents in this area have been the subject of litigation, yet this article cites to several patents without a whisper of the controversy. We really should have sources to back up claims about a patent being the first to solve problem X. If sources aren't provided, I will take these claims out. Cool Hand Luke 05:49, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

"Sticky" meaning holding a customer's attention or custom

Putting quotes round "sticky" makes it clear (to me) that this is a jargon term, and so should be hyperlinked, but I can't find a suitable target. The nearest I see is Sticky content. Sticky (economics) seems to be related, possibly in etymology? -- passer by 2010-08-23 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.148.244.32 (talk) 18:53, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

Privacy rights and prepaid mobile phones

This section is unbalanced. It needs more coverage of the advantages of providing privacy. Currently it reads almost entirely in favor of big brother/state control/surveillance.

Needs more coverage of the advantages of allowing individuals freedom of communication, fighting oppression, etc.

I couldn't find a tag requesting NPOV improvement, so I put a tag I could find on the section (not that I know of any dispute) just want to suggest improvement. Zodon (talk) 09:16, 24 September 2010 (UTC)

Just a note: IMHO, the fact that prepaid SIM cards may be used anonymously does not necessarily mean they can be used for crime with impunity. Devices on the mobile networks can be easily tracked [reference to some articles here, e.g.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_tracking, http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs2b-cellprivacy.htm#5, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/22/AR2007112201444_2.html?hpid=topnews, "FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool" http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029_3-6140191.html). So really, I do not think there's a necessity (and definitely shouldn't be a requirement) for someone to provide personal information just to be able to talk with someone [on the phone]. 66.183.21.148 (talk) 13:36, 5 February 2011 (UTC)

Censorship and prepaid mobile phones

The article claims that prepaid accounts can subvert censorship, but I found the opposite to be true. Just form personal experience over the last two weeks, T-mobile in the USA censors Internet use on prepaid accounts. They even block queries using any alcohol related words. Good luck using a prepaid account as a tourist on a wine tour... Perhaps someone could substantiate this, and add that in the USA prepaid accounts are extra censored.

Ability to receive calls with zero credit

I've added to the "churn" section that in some countries (and presumably on some networks), a prepaid mobile with no credit can still receive calls. This is the case in the UK for most if not all networks. Unfortunately I can't find a citation. The whole section would ideally be expanded a bit, with consideration of how the ability to receive calls with no credit affects "churn", if there has been any research on the topic. M0ffx (talk) 12:01, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

Churn

Hi, I removed the line: "In the US incoming calls are also barred." People using pay-as-you go plans in the United States of America can receive calls. Bye. Starionwolf (talk) 15:43, 23 September 2012 (UTC)