In the DC metro area, VoiceStream has the best price if you're looking for a low usage service. I wanted to get my wife and myself cell phones to keep in our cars, mostly for emergencies. After looking at AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and VoiceStream, I liked their options the best.

Probably the best part of VoiceStream is that they offer a month-to-month option for their lowest price tier. Every other carrier had a minimum $100 contract termination charge. VoiceStream was also the cheapest, at $19.99 per month for 60 minutes with 25 cents for additional minutes. I also like the fact that they have an automatic billing option.

I haven't had to use their customer service, so I don't have anything to recommend it one way or the other. My experience at their retail outlet, where I purchased the service was not great, and I had to bully them into giving me the same offer that was available on their web site for the phone sets. Eventually, however, I actually got a better deal for two Nokia phones than I could have gotten through their web site.

On the down side, I find their cell coverage in the DC area to be relatively modest. I have occasionally lost conversations on major highways just outside the DC beltway, especially in valleys. Also, it is frequently impossible to make calls from within many buildings. Admittedly, few, if any, services are all that great inside buildings, but I have AT&T service on my business cell phone, and it carries a much stronger signal in many more places (both indoors and outdoors). When the signal is strong, the voice clarity is very good. All in all I am happy with my service.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): $19.95/mo.