Posts Tagged ‘sprint’
Nextel is Still the Smart Choice for Contractors
November 18, 2009 – The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are close to 10 million Americans working in the nation’s construction industry. And, it seems that Nextel is still the only cellular service provider who has consistently made efforts to cater to the particular cell phone needs of construction contractors.
Motorola i576 is a great field phone for contractors. Image copywrite of Sprint 2009.
Recently, a less than tech-savvy friend asked me to help him choose a cell provider and phone model for his small general contracting firm. With only 5 employees, he does not have any need for advanced features like VPN access and PDF viewing — he simply needs a very reliable, rugged cell phone with good coverage and easy to use push-to-talk technology. For years, I have continually seen construction companies in the field talking on basic Nextel models, like the i576 by Motorola, and now I know why.
I started my search for the right phone the way I begin every consumer venture: reading web reviews of the product by real life users. What I discovered is that, while contractors don’t seem to be raving about the rugged Nextel models, nobody appears to have any complaints either. And that is what a building contractor really needs, right? A phone and provider that are consistent and which you can confidently base your business around.
ATT iPhone is probably not the best fit for a working contractor. Image copyright ATT 2009.
Believe me, I am an iPhone user from its initial launch and I use every feature of the phone almost on a daily basis. I couldn’t operate my business without it. But, when it comes to push-to-talk technology or rugged construction, the IPhone, or any other smart phone for that matter, just doesn’t make sense. Sprint and Nextel’s Direct Talk feature is unpatrolled and the difference in coverage between them and Verizon is negligible.
So, after a day of research, I pointed my friend to Nextel and the i576 by Motorola. He, knowing my penchant for gadgets, was a little surprised by my selection, but I was able to convince him that wiz-bang, and the headaches that accompany it, are the last thing he needs for his growing construction industry business. But, I have to wonder if ATT and Verizon are going to continue to let Nextel corner this market, or if they have field-phones in the works?
Josh Groves
President of jobtrio.com
“Where contractors and their clients meet.”