September, it’s a month that starts with a three-day weekend, marks the end of summer and puts kids across the country back in school.
There’s a lot to be done and a lot to be purchased when going back to school including notebooks, pencils, backpacks, lunch bags, new clothes, athletic equipment, and much more. But retailers such as Target and Office Depot aren’t the only ones cashing in on the “back-to-school” craze. Probably highest on the list for kids’ and teens’ supply list is a cellphone. Wireless users are getting younger and younger and teens typically never step outside without their phones. Carriers have caught on to this and are becoming more present in schools, education and teens’ pockets.
Roger Entner, analyst with Nielson IAG Research, said this time of year is huge for carriers, and almost rivals purchases that come at Christmas time.
“Back to school is a really significant factor for handset purchases, especially for the youth segment,” Entner said. “This is a really good time to launch for them.”
Text craze
Many carriers have turned some of their focus to the text-crazy teen crowd, offering phones and devices that cater to their more specific needs. Verizon Wireless recently launched a new device, UTStarcom’s Blitz, a phone “designed for the heaviest of texters.” The handset comes equipped with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and easy access to a dedicated “My Messaging” key. The Blitz costs $70 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract.
T-Mobile USA Inc. has also come out with a new Sidekick, the device with the famous flip screen and QWERTY keyboard for texting.
Devices like this however, are great for text-savvy individuals; so much that teens have started texting at all times of the day, even during class. This distraction may be behind a new program from T-Mobile USA, Family Allowances. The program allows parents to provide a certain amount of minutes and/or messages for each person on their family plans and even choose specific times of day that are off limits for calling and texting. Verizon Wireless has a similar program, dubbed Usage Controls.
More than a phone
On the other hand, some carriers push to keep phones in the school atmosphere and encourage use in the classroom. Sprint Nextel Corp. features a program, Campus Connect, which ties a student’s college academic life and cellphone together. The service provides course alerts – meaning if a class is changed, cancelled or moved to a different building – students will be alerted on their phones in order to plan ahead. Campus Connect can also relay shuttle and bus schedules on campus, lunch menus and even partners with Rave Wireless to offer safety-alert options. Ed Davalos, national director for education sales at Sprint Nextel, said a new feature of the service also helps students keep up in their actual classes.
“In large institutions, classes are large,” Davalos said. “Handsets have that functionality so they [students] can get course information or streaming video of lectures. It helps professors make sure that students understand the material.”
Schools must first agree to use the program and then interested subscribers can sign up through Sprint Nextel on most of the carrier’s phones. The plans can merge with voice and messaging and range anywhere from $40 to $110 per month, Davalos said. However, programs like this may be too advanced for colleges.
“I don’t know if the universities are ready for that,” Enter said.
Saving money
AT&T Mobility Inc. has also turned to colleges to enhance wireless usage. Last week, the carrier announced an agreement with the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation to give students, faculty and staff access to discounted wireless rate plans and devices. In an effort to introduce more wireless strategies in the classroom, Abilene Christian University in Texas provided all freshmen with an Apple Inc. 3G iPhone or iPod Touch.
“This is the first time a university and a wireless company have worked together to combine cutting-edge technology like iPhone 3G and education in a way that enhances students’ access to educational resources and their overall learning experience,” said Adam Vital, VP and general manager of AT&T Mobility in North Texas.
