ESL Podcast 810 - Switching Cell Phone Plans

cell phone plan - an agreement for a cell phone company to provide someone a certain number of minutes of phone time and related services in exchange for a certain amount of money each month

The phone company is offering a free smart phone to anyone who signs up for a 24-month cell phone plan.

roaming - referring to the use of a cell phone outside of the normal area where a cell phone company provides a connection to its network

This company says it has a national network without any roaming fees anywhere in the country.

overage charge - an amount of money that must be paid because one used a cell phone for more minutes than the number of minutes included in one's monthly plan

Last month, Elbert's overage charges were greater than his regular monthly bill!

messaging - the practice of sending short, written text from one phone to another

A lot of teenagers prefer messaging over talking on the phone.

data - digital information, especially when sent over a network

A hundred years ago, who would have imagined that we could send data electronically in seconds?

to go over - to exceed; to use more than the allowed amount; to have or use more than some maximum or limit

Perry has been gaining weight for years, but when it went over 250 pounds, he knew he had to make some changes.

prepaid - a service that is paid for before it is used, not after

Some utility companies are beginning to offer prepaid electricity options for homes.

unlimited - without any limits; without a maximum value

This car wash facility lets people buy a $24.99 pass for unlimited car washes for one month.

carrier - a company that provides phone service and is responsible for operating and maintaining a communications network

Which carrier offers the best service in North Dakota?

coverage - a measurement of how much of a geographic area can have access to a cell phone network

The company has great coverage in cities, but the coverage isn't very good in mountainous areas.

to extend to - to go as far as; to include; to cover

Our store allows people to return purchases they don't like, but that policy doesn't extend to clothing that they've already worn for months.

to text - to send short, written messages from one phone to another

Do the teachers allow their students to text during class?

social media - websites that connect people and help them communicate with each other, such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter

Finn uses social media to stay in touch with his friends from high school.

to exceed - to go over; to have or use more than a certain amount of something; to go beyond the limit of something

If your suitcase exceeds 55 pounds, the airline will charge an additional fee.

allotted - given, assigned, or designated for a particular purpose

The conference organizers have allotted 30 minutes for your presentation and 10 minutes for questions from the audience.

megabyte - a unit for measuring data (digital information)

How many megabytes are in a 30-gigabyte hard drive?

to keep up on - to be aware of the latest developments; to be up-to-date; to have the most recent information about something that is changing rapidly

How do pharmacists keep up on all the new medicines that are introduced each year?