Advancements in technology have impacted our lives in more ways than we’d like to admit. From the way we structure our lives and even to the way we maintain our social relationships. Ironically, technology has created a divide among people living closest to each other, especially between parents and their children. In essence, parenting has never been more challenging as they now navigate the complex digital age.
A device that has now become an essential part of our lives can also be a roadblock in parents’ efforts to connect with their children. When used strategically, mobile phones can be instrumental in fostering healthy communication and maintaining connections among family members. On the other hand, mobile phones for each family member also mean a hefty bill at the end of each month, causing a potential rift among adults and children on the cost-saving usage of their plans.
Family and group mobilabonnement have become the more practical approach to lessen household costs. These plans are designed to cater to groups of people who want to share the convenience of having only one mobile plan with multiple users. There are many benefits to pursuing family plans over individual plans, especially for its cost-saving potential and added convenience.
Cost-Effective Advantage
The primary appeal factor for group plans is the cost savings advantage. Households will be able to maximize mobile plan benefits as resources can be shared and appropriately allocated. Here are the key benefits families can take advantage of that relate to financial savings:
- Shared Data and Minutes: Shared plans have larger data and minutes allowance, which can be pooled so each member can benefit from the collective resource. This way, members will have sufficient data and call time without the higher cost that multiple individual plans can incur.
Efficient data allocation also avoids data wastage and promotes equitable usage, mitigating conflicts when one member uses more data portions than others. On the other hand, when necessary, the plan is also flexible enough to have options of assigning any unused data from others to members who have more use for it.
- Eliminate Extra Charges from Multiple Contacts: Individual contracts are usually laced with administrative and other relevant fees that can add to the overall cost. With a shared plan, there’s no need to sign multiple contracts for different plans, reducing the cost of these added fees, as well as time to accomplish each form.
A shared plan also means more optimization potential of data and call usage, as most plans often include unlimited calling and texting for lines within the group. This means limitless communication between family members can be done without additional costs, encouraging better connectivity opportunities.
- Discounted Rates: Many providers offer discounted rates on a family or group plan to monopolize their services within a family. As more supplementary lines are added, the cost per line often decreases and becomes more affordable, resulting in substantial savings. This can be especially helpful for larger families or groups.
Combining multiple lines in a single plan also leverages economies of scale, as service providers can offer better pricing structures. Service providers can negotiate for lower rates with network carriers and, in turn, pass on these savings to their customers. For groups or families where each member pays for their share, this can be advantageous for each individual.
Convenience of Centralized Management
With shared plans, centralized management also poses a great convenience for families. Not only do they have to deal with multiple paperwork when managing bills, but it also allows for streamlining their resource management. Here are other benefits where convenience comes into the equation:
- Family controls: For families where some or most of their lines belong to minors, parents, or the primary account holder set controls and restrictions for other lines. This authority power can also be helpful when setting allowances for each line, managing their children’s mobile usage, or restricting certain functions.
In the same way primary account holders set controls and restrictions, they can also easily manage line users by adding or removing themand centralized monitoring of each member’s data usage.
- Streamlined communication: With unlimited calls comes the convenience of easy coordination of plans or communication for general matters among family members. They can be sure to have someone they can always contact, provided their device has sufficient battery life. This is especially critical during emergencies or when children find themselves in dangerous situations.
- Customer Service: A single plan for multiple users can also mean a more straightforward method of resolving any issues that require the assistance of the provider’s customer service. With shared plans, agents can handle all matters collectively and solve any concerns in one go, ensuring the same problem does not re-occur in other lines within that single plan.
Service Providers with Available Family Plans
- Telia – Telia’s plans offer a family discount for an additional line in their subscriptions. Their most expensive subscriptions entail a NOK 100 discount, while their regular ones offer a NOK 30 discount for each additional subscription. All their subscriptions include 5G coverage and free unlimited voice, SMS, and MMS.
- Ice – Ice offers a family plan security package when combining two or more subscriptions for both their high and low monthly price. Their security package includes secure online shopping and help with ID theft. They also have a cheap subscription designed for children and young people under 29, called the iceJunior.
- OneCall – OnceCall offers a family discount and an opportunity to customize data distribution tailored to family needs. They advertise themselves as a practical mobile plan choice, as their program is designed for customers to pay for only what they need at an affordable price with no hidden costs. Any unused data allowance can also be carried over to the next month, with the upper limit equal to the size of their existing subscription.
How to Choose the Suitable Plan
When choosing a family mobile plan, families must identify their priorities when getting a plan and find one that best suits their collective needs. Some factors to consider would be:
- Number of lines – Some plans are meant for small families, while others cater to large groups. Determine how many lines are needed and that the choice of provider and plan can accommodate everyone.
- Provider – service providers are critical in ensuring the best customer service when issues arise and that families get the most benefits with the presented cost. When researching good providers, careful evaluation is then necessary in terms of their coverage, additional features, and, most importantly, their reputation with existing customers.
- Contract Length – some families prefer a no-contract option, while some like to have a contract plan. A no-contract or SIM-only option is preferred for families anticipating some transition in their households in the short term, while contract plans are suitable for those living in the same area long-term.
Learn more about each of these option’s advantages and disadvantages.
- Cost – it is important to factor in any upfront fees or potential hidden charges on top of its cost-savings potential. This assessment can determine whether or not the plan is cost-effective in the long run.
The key to a smooth and easy family life is establishing healthy connections early on and facilitating this connectivity with proper communication. While technology can pose a challenging gap between adults and young people in the family, it can also be used as a tool for parents to regain that connection. Family and group mobile plans offer the perfect solution for families looking to leverage mobile phones in their household dynamics and maximize both cost savings and convenience.
