Telephone Service

One of the first things you should do upon arrival is get yourself telephone service. You will have the option of setting up landline service, cell phone service, or both when you arrive in Madison.

Landline telephone service is provided by local and long-distance telephone companies. Local telephone companies provide local or regional telecommunication services. Long distance companies provide national and international services.

How can you set up a landline?

• Call SBC (the company that provides telephone service for Madison ) at 1-800-924-1000. The phone will be answered by a computerized voice. Listen to your options and select the appropriate number for new telephone service.
• Have the following information ready for the operator:
• Your exact address, which has to include zip code, street, apartment #, etc.
• Your date of birth
• Your parents' address
• Names of any roommates that you have
• The name of your landlord and her/his phone number
• The operator will ask you for a "Social Security Number." Since many of you will not have one, they will request that you send copies of 2 forms of ID. Al least one of these must be a picture ID (passport).

You should choose a long-distance telephone provider the same day you set up your local service or you will end up paying more than necessary for long distance.

You also have the option of purchasing a cell phone and cell phone service plan for the length of your time in Madison. Many students choose this option and do not set up a landline at all, as cell phone services can usually be initiated quickly and relatively cheaply.

There are a great many plans and choices regarding cell phone services in south-central Wisconsin . A number of sites for finding cell phone plans are below. Simply enter your Madison zip code (53703) to find and compare deals:

www.letstalk.com/
www.longdistanceworld.com/cellular-phones/
www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/index.jsp
www.uscc.com/uscellular/SilverStream/Pages/uscellular.html

You also have the option of waiting until you arrive in Madison to shop at store locations. Different cell providers have stores where you can test their phones and talk to service representatives.

One final note: when purchasing cell phone service, it is very important to avoid plans with a set contract period if you are only in Madison one semester. If possible, you will want a pay-as-you-go service plan that you can terminate when you leave the United States . Students staying in Madison for a whole academic year would be in a position to purchase a cell phone plan with a one-year contract, which are easier to find and cheaper.