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New state cell phone contract saves the campus money

Thursday, April 17, 2008


No more roaming charges. "Significantly reduced" airtime charges. New phones at no charge.

The new cell phone contract between U.S. Cellular and the State of Wisconsin will result in substantial savings for many campus departments. The base monthly cost under the new contract is slightly higher than in the past, but the airtime costs are much lower.  

All users of UW-Madison cell phones were moved to U.S. Cellular's "State National Rate Plan" in graphicFebruary. The new UW rates are:

  • Monthly access: $6.90
  • Airtime: $0.058 per minute
  • Directory assistance calls: $1.73
  • Universal Service Fund (USF) fee: $0.70
The plan does not charge for long-distance calls or roaming.

All current users of cell phones under the state contract can obtain a new cellular telephone. Though U.S. Cellular encourages customers to exchange their old phones for new as soon as possible, the swap is possible at any time during the three years of the contract. You can select one of two basic phones at no cost or apply a discount and credit to get a more expensive phone.

For more information on cell phones and accessories or on advanced cellular services such as smartphones or mobile broadband cards, see www.doit.wisc.edu/telephone/cellular/equipment.asp  For information on cellular service and to obtain equipment order forms, go to www.doit.wisc.edu/telephone/cellular