Why The Deaf <3 T-Mobile

Filed under: gadgets, mobile network operators - 08 Dec 2007 0:03

Sidekick LX I was talking to a co-worker about mobile phones the other day and she revealed something to me that I hadn’t considered: deaf people overwhelmingly have T-Mobile service and overwhelmingly use one of the various Sidekick models. What, you mean deaf people use mobile phones?

Why not? If your deaf, you might not be able to use the phone portion of the device, but you can most certainly use the SMS, IM, and Internet access from a mobile phone–none of which require any audio to make use of. Certainly these are all things the Sidekick does fairly well.

But T-Mobile? Well for one, the Sidekick is only sold through T-Mobile, but that can’t be the only reason. There are plenty of other phones out there sold by AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint that have a similar form and function. But one thing that T-Mobile does that the other guys don’t do for handsets is something very important for a deaf person: a data-only plan. And it’s dirt cheap.

On a contract basis, you can get service for $39.99 a month. This doesn’t include text messaging, but it does include all the data you can use and T-Mobile Hotspot access. You can purchase blocks of text messages, of course, and because you’re signing up for a contract, it means you can get a better price on the Sidekick.

What I think ends up being a better deal for a data-only Sidekick plan is prepaid, which T-Mobile offers a special plan for. For $1 a day, you get unlimited (domestic) texting, email, and web-browsing. Voice calls, if you need to make one, will cost $0.15 a minute. So for $30 a month, plus the unsubsidized cost of the Sidekick ($400), a deaf person gets a personal communications device that is deaf-friendly at a price that the average hearing-enabled person would love to have for a voice plan.

All in all, it’s a smart move on T-Mobile’s part. It’s a pity the other carriers don’t provide a similar service.

Bookmark with: del.icio.us Digg it Furl iFeedReaders ma.gnolia Maple.nu RawSugar reddit Simpy StumbleUpon
Tags: deaf, hearing impared, sidekick, t-mobile Fnord

5 Comments »

Comment by Carol

Can the prepaid data plan be used for other devices besides the Sidekick? If so I’m definitely going to use them when i go back to U.S. on holidays..
Comment by PhoneBoy

Sidekick only as far as I know. When I’ve asked, the reps have said Sidekick only. They can check by IMEI of course.
Pingback by The PhoneBoy Blog

be one of things that would be a by-product of this supposedly new openness: allow people to use data-only devices if they prefer. It would certainly give T-Mobile some competition for a market of people you wouldn’t think would use mobile phones:the deaf. A unlimited data-only plan with SMS and a better device than the Sidekick might be just the thing. And why don’t the other carriers get in the fun, too?
Pingback by Blog By Alert

begrudge service workers, but let’s not be disingenuous. People go into these noble professions because they like them and are well-paid positions, . … Propeller.com Love & Personals Stories - http://www.propeller.comWhy The Deaf <3 T-MobileBy PhoneBoy I was talking to a co-worker about mobile phones the other day and she revealed something to me that I hadn’t considered: deaf people overwhelmingly have T-Mobile service and overwhelmingly use one of the various Sidekick models.
Comment by amie laib

hello im deaf the pager above should be free for deaf ppls. likely trade pager accept, ect.. like that dont have to buy other new one if you have sk3 or xxl pager trade free. i would like get one free sooner. my sk3 and i decide i would like to trade free.thanks let me know anything information
Pingback by MangaHelpers - The Hang Out Thread v.9

[...] which pays good money a month for what amounts to be a pretty fun job. Need this first though. http://www.phoneboy.com/1945/why-the…heart-t-mobile $1 per day on a special plan for unlimited texting, e-mailing, web browsing, would make my life [...]