Cell/Smart Phone and Hotspot: Options

Smartphone, Wi-Fi hotspots and basic cellphone options that can be purchased from the AT&T contract through DoTS.

We have partnered with AT&T Wireless as provider of 4G/LTE wireless services for our university. This partnership is through a contract that is negotiated at the State of Wisconsin for all state agencies in the state. We have set a standard for the devices that Technology Services supports which are detailed in this document. Since there are hundreds of different phones on the market at any given time we have standardized on particular platforms and services to reduce any issues you could experience in the use of those products. Technology Services requires any phone to be procured by the university to be one of these phones or their current equivalents.

Steps to Acquiring Cellular Services

1. To initiate a purchase request, please complete the Mobile Phone Request service form. 
2. Review and sign the Department of Administration's Mobile Device Policy document. Give a copy of this to your supervisor for your personnel file, it is your supervisor's responsibility to maintain all AT&T records associated with your device.  
3. Refer to Administrative Policy AP-05-201 for usage restrictions and monthly auditing requirements.  
4. Your supervisor will receive an email from wireless.att.com and they will need to setup their account. Then monthly, they need to download your bill and review it with you based on the requirements of the above policies.
5. If you ordered an iPhone, DoTS will set up an appointment with you for activating the phone. Bring your signed policy document with you, if you did not send it in already. Basic phones are shipped directly to you (or your supervisor) and will require a signed document in advance of ordering.

Costs Associated to Wireless Communications

All costs that are associated with the wireless communication device and associated services will be charged directly to the account number that is provided. DoTS does not "up charge" any of the costs. An enterprise-level invoice is received on a monthly basis and Accounts Payable breaks down the charges and pays the bill using dozens of different accounts that apply. Any usage charges that you acquire by using the phone are your responsibility. Monthly auditing of the bill is required by the State of Wisconsin. Monthly review of the charges on WISER are required and DoTS is not responsible for any charges.

Canceling a Line of Service

You are required to notify the Division of Technology Services to have devices deactivated via a service request ticket. You should terminate service when employees are leaving the organization and when the phone is no longer of use.

Basic "Feature Phone"

AT&T refers to their "not smart" phones as "feature phones" and there are few options. The basic feature phone changes from time to time-based on AT&T's offerings.  

• The primary advantage of a feature phone over a smartphone is the monthly costs of operation. A smartphone can also be obtained for free, but you will have a significantly higher cost of operation due to the required data packages on a smartphone. Note: feature phones can also accrue data usage and you will be responsible for those by the measured amount.
• They usually are going to cost between free and $0.99 one time. 
• They can be replaced annually at that discounted cost.  
• The basic features are listed below.  
• Examples of feature phones that might be available: TCL Classic, Alcatel Smartflip, LG 471 or Conulgar Flip 2 
• If the phone needs to be replaced before its allowed time period, it is an approximately $60 one-time cost.  
• Insurance is not allowed; it would cost much more than just replacing the phone over its life cycle.

Voice & Calling

• Speakerphone with Mute
• Vibrate
• Flight Mode
• Customizable Ringtones
• Caller ID
• Call Waiting
• Call Forwarding
• Three-way Calling

Messaging

• Text messaging: Send and receive short text-only messages on your phone.**
• Multimedia messaging: Easily add pictures, video clips, and sound clips to your text messages.**

** Messaging and associated data consumption rates apply. Basic text messaging is required as an emergency management tool. We do not block messages unless there is a specific business reason to not receive emergency messages. These messages are charged at an a la carte rate between 10 and 20 cents each.

Camera & Video

• Rear-facing camera with autofocus and digital zoom (not available on some phones)

Applications

• All apps are "on-board" and do not have a "cloud" interface to them.***

*** Data consumption rates apply.

Initial Costs

• $0.99 - $69.99 for the hardware; replacement phones every 12 months.  (Price changes with AT&T without warning.)
• There are a few small initial fees associated with federal taxes: approximately $5
• No case is required or provided, you can procure one with your procurement card through proper channels. Grainger is recommended for facilities staff.
• Most feature phones still come with a charger, some do not. We will need to verify that a charger is or is not needed at the time of purchase. DoTS will add the charger to the order if needed.

Ongoing Costs

If the phone is not used at all, then it is about $3/month for services. There is no monthly commitment in our contract; you may cancel at any time. It may take at least one additional billing cycle after canceling.

There are no voice minutes included in the state plan. You pay 6 cents per minute for incoming and outgoing calls. There is no monthly subscription cost for voice services so if you don't talk much you don't pay much. There are alternate plans that can be reviewed for users that use more than 450 minutes per month - the break-even point on leaving the State of Wisconsin plan.

Voice Services	Text Message Services	Data Services
Flat Rate National $0.00 - monthly access (plus approximately $3 in taxes) $0.06 - per incoming minute $0.06 - per outgoing minute $0.06 - per mobile-to-mobile minute $0.06 - per toll-free minute $0.06 - per directory assistance minute $1.99+ - per directory assistance call No additional charge for: Domestic long distance Intrastate domestic roaming Interstate domestic roaming Discounted International Dialing $3.99 / month Enables customer to call from the U.S. to over 200 countries at Discounted Rates. This is a good bargain for customers who call from inside the U.S to other countries occasionally. International Travel This plan is eligible for the International Day pass at $10.00 / day. More information is available below. Includes the ability to use your domestic plan in International Day Pass countries (att.com/globalcountries) for $10/day. Your data, talk & text usage is applied against your domestic plan allowances with domestic overage rates. Business Nation Unlimited $63.89 / month The break-even point is approximately 900 minutes of voice minutes over the standard plan. With AT&T Nation GSM Rate Plans, you never pay roaming or long distance charges!	For emergency management reasons, all university cell phones will have a la carte messaging at a minimum and will automatically be subscribed to UWRF-Alerts Service. These alerts count as billable text messages. A la Carte Messaging $0.20/message incoming and outgoing For emergency management reasons, all university cell phones will have a la carte messaging at a minimum and will automatically be subscribed to UWRF-Alerts Service. These alerts count as billable text messages. There are frequent spam messages received on phones, these are also unfortunately billable text messages as well. Picture messaging on basic phones may incur data charges. Messaging 200 (per month) $2.00 / month Unlimited Messaging $10.00 / month International Long Distance Messaging $15.00 / month International Long Distance Messaging 1000 includes 1000 Text and/or Picture Video Messages (20 cents/additional messages sent). Package does not include instant messages. Applies only to text and Picture/Video messages sent from the U.S. while on the AT&T wireless network to any international wireless number.	Any data that is consumed for picture messages or for use of the onboard applications are billed a la carte.  There may be a charge associated with picture messaging and other services on the phone if used by the user. Unlimited Not available for this phone 5 GB with Tethering capability Not available for this phone Included in This Plan Included Data    -- Additional Data:    $2.00/MB International Data:    $0.002/KB Cruise Ship Data:    $0.002/KB

There is no monthly base cost to the basic phone, however, there are approximately 10% federal, state, and local municipal 911/protection fees assessed to services based on their retail pre-discounted costs. Even though no voice services may be consumed, a small (approximately $3/mo.) fee is assessed for the services.

A case is not included. Cases can be provided at request for an additional cost. We recommend that the person carrying the phone procure a case that meets their specific needs and tastes.

A charger comes with the phone. This phone uses a standard micro-USB charger that is popular with Android phones. 

Smart Phone

The standard smartphones provided to university users are Apple iPhone models. You will need to confirm your supervisor's approval and a business justification statement before ordering. DoTS will place the order with AT&T on your behalf and will handle the billing/invoices with AT&T monthly according to the account string you provide. By default, all phones will be ordered in black or space gray to match a black case that will also be ordered with your phone.

Apple iPhone Prices

See AT&T's product information page for detailed information, reviews, and videos regarding the features. Prices captured here are subject to change daily.

¹ Initial Costs & Scheduled Replacement Costs

• There is an initial purchase cost (as noted above.)
• Replacement eligibility is every 18 months for a new phone.
• There are a few small initial fees associated with federal taxes: approximately $5.
• The purchase of a case is required and will be part of the order of the phone: approximately $40-75 depending on the model phone and box (OtterBox Defender is the default for heavy daily use, Symmetry is recommended for office/knowledge workers.) 
• Since all iPhones need to be in a case the order for the lowest cost neutral color (usually Space Gray or silver) will be selected.
• Damaged phones being replaced before they are eligible are done so at full price in the "unscheduled replacement costs" column.
• Prices listed here are subject to change per order at AT&T's discretion.
• Whenever available, AT&T refurbished hardware will be purchased at a discounted cost.
• Inquire with DoTS to see when you are eligible for a replacement phone. Cycles indicated may or may not be available at the time of purchase.
• Depending on the timing, the replacement of the phone is likely to be whatever is the best deal of the day at the full price. For example, 12 months from now today's expensive phone will be the least expensive.  You will review options at that time of what you will replace your phone with at the time.

² Discount Replacement Cycle

• Every phone has a discount replacement cycle - when you are eligible to get your phone at a discounted price.
• Some phones may escalate in their time frame. This is usually established at the time of purchase but may be modified by AT&T for promotional reasons. Inquire with DoTS to see when you are eligible for a replacement phone. Cycles indicated may or may not be available at the time of purchase.
• Replacement costs are at the discounted initial price as shown.

³ Unscheduled Replacement Costs

• Unscheduled replacement costs are associated with some form of breakage or failure beyond the manufacturer's warranty.
• The state does not allow us to purchase insurance. If damage occurs, you are required to cover the replacement cost from your departmental budget. Insurance is not allowed due to the associated costs exceeding the replacement costs. Consider if the state paid $17/line for 50,000 lines a month. At $850,000 a month, that is a lot of insurance cost!
• Departmental funding is responsible for all replacement costs. You may opt to cancel service all together instead of replacing it and leaving you with no device in the end.
• Cases are required on all smartphones and some do come with a warranty. However, we have never had a successful claim with them to get the phone replaced. Usually they will replace the box not the phone.
• A spare phone that was turned in by a previous staff member may be available for you as a replacement device. This "self-insurance" is ad hoc and available depending on what is turned in by staff.

Ongoing Costs

Voice Services	Text Message Services	Data Services
Flat Rate National $0.00 - monthly access (plus approximately $3 in taxes) $0.06 - per incoming minute $0.06 - per outgoing minute $0.06 - per mobile-to-mobile minute $0.06 - per toll-free minute $0.06 - per directory assistance minute $1.99+ - per directory assistance call No additional charge for: Domestic long distance Intrastate domestic roaming Interstate domestic roaming Discounted International Dialing $3.99 / month Enables customer to call from the U.S. to over 200 countries at Discounted Rates. This is a good bargain for customers who call from inside the U.S to other countries occasionally. International Travel More information is available below. This plan is eligible for the International Day pass at $10.00 / day. Includes the ability to use your domestic plan in International Day Pass countries (att.com/globalcountries) for $10/day. Your data, talk & text usage is applied against your domestic plan allowances with domestic overage rates.	For emergency management reasons, all university cell phones will have ala carte messaging at a minimum and will automatically be subscribed to UWRF-Alerts Service. These alerts count as billable text messages. A la Carte Messaging $0.20 / message This applies to both incoming and outgoing   There are frequent spam messages received on phones, these are also unfortunately billable text messages as well. Messaging 200 (per month) $2.00 / month Unlimited Messaging $10.00 / month International Long Distance Messaging $15.00 / month International Long Distance Messaging 1000 includes 1000 Text and/or Picture Video Messages (20 cents/add'l messages sent). Package does not include instant messages. Applies only to text and Picture/Video messages sent from the U.S. while on the AT&T wireless network to any international wireless number.	Unlimited Enterprise Data (Throttled) $27.00 / month No tethering option; can only use data on the device Rate throttling during "network congestion" is possible, especially above 22GB of usage in a month 5 GB with Tethering capability  $37.00 / month $10/GB when using above the limit Throttled speeds, especially above the 5 GB cap Tethering allows you to share the phone as a mobile hot spot Unlimited Data with Visual Voicemail and Tethering $50.05 / month Throttled speeds for personal use, especially above 5 GB Tethering allows you to share the phone as a mobile hot spot NOT INCLUDED unlimited domestic text messages unlimited voice Unlimited Data with Unlimited Text Messaging $50.04 / month Throttled speeds for personal use, especially above 5 GB NOT INCLUDED Tethering allows you to share the phone as a mobile hot spot unlimited voice INCLUDED unlimited domestic text messages

There are approximately 15% federal, state, and local municipal 911/protection fees assessed to services. Even though no voice services may be consumed, a small (approximately $3/mo.) fee is assessed for the services.

Due to the ongoing costs of a smartphone, the State of Wisconsin requires that budget managers give extra attention to scrutinizing the expenses associated with the operation of a smartphone.

Three is a GPS "Navigator" application on the phone. When activated, this will invoke a $9.99/month fee. If not used, there will be no fee. Do not use this feature as you can use the free versions of maps on the phone.

The State of Wisconsin does not permit the purchase of equipment protection; it is up to your department to replace damaged or out of warranty defective hardware at the full cost.

Any apps that are purchased remain the property of the university and must be approved by the Division of Technology Services before purchasing. No charges for apps may be charged against the AT&T account.

International Services

Mobile hotspot devices may not be used in any university facility where the official university wireless is provided. These devices severely interferer with the official WiFi services.

Initial Costs

• Typical one-time costs of $0-299.99, depending on the availability of stock at AT&T.
• The recommended model will change depending on availability from AT&T.

Ongoing (Monthly) Costs

Rate information was last updated March 31, 2023.

Data Services

Unlimited Enterprise Data (Throttled) $37.99 / month Rate throttling during "network congestion" is possible, especially above 22GB of usage in a month For Government use only. Unlimited domestic data usage, Unlimited Domestic Data Usage on the AT&T Wi-Fi Basic Network.  Unlimited Government Data (No Throttling) $39.99 / month Rate throttling does not occur when the network is congested, this device will receive priority above consumers on the same network. Government users only with government traffic. FirstNet Public Safety Services FirstNet is a "federal cellular network" that is provided by AT&T for the federal government. These users receive top priority in the time of crisis and when local cellular networks are at capacity. Individuals that have a business role in the university that provide mission-critical services to the institution are eligible for FirstNet services. DoTS will discuss with you whether this is available for you and what the costs would be for you.

 There are approximately 15% federal, state, and local municipal 911/protection fees assessed to services. Even though no voice services may be consumed, a small (approximately $3/mo.) fee is assessed for the services.

Due to the ongoing costs of a mobile Internet device, the State of Wisconsin requires that budget managers give extra attention to scrutinizing the expenses associated with the operation of a mobile Internet device.

There are no international travel options for hotspots that are affordable.  See EDUROAM WiFi service as an option. 

iPads

5G LTE enabled iPads tables are available, however, they are not detailed here because the price and availability rapidly fluctuates. You can refer to the AT&T consumer website for an understanding of the options for the hardware. We do not get much of a discount on the hardware but we do get steep discounts on the service plans. Data tethering (sharing your Internet to another device) is not an option on iPads but is an option on iPhones. Open a DoTS service request ticket so that we can discuss what is available on the State of Wisconsin contract at the time of your purchase.