Choosing among national cellular plan providers When cell phone service providers began bidding on frequencies in the 1990s, it seemed that U.S. businesses would have dozens of options. Since then, market forces and the cost of building out have pushed cell phone service providers to merge.

I recommend:  At the national level, there are realistically four choices for cell phone service at this writing: Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint-Nextel, and Cingular (now AT&T). What national cell phone service providers give you is extensive, high-quality coverage, reliable paging service and high-speed data networks and, usually, competitive all-you-can-eat cellular plans. See the Business.com directory page on cell phone service providers and paging service providers.

When to choose regional cellular service providers The grip on the national scene by bigger cellular service and paging service providers does not mean they are the best deal for you. Smaller cell phone service providers have perfectly fine local coverage and can roam nationally. They compete on price, too.

I recommend:  You'll need to give them your zip code to determine if you are in their business coverage area, but for some that's half the country or more. Smaller wireless phone service companies include Alltel, CellularOne, Qwest, SunCom Wireless, and US Cellular. See more cellular service providers at Business.com.

Considering flat or pre-paid cell phone plans One of the latest trends in cellular plans is the flat monthly fee wireless phone service plan. Instead of counting minutes, you pay, say, $40 or $50 but talk until the cows come home. Beware of pricing. Like regular cellular plans, the monthly quote does not include local and federal taxes on wireless phone service, and these plans rarely give away the handset like traditional cellular plans do.

I recommend:  But, there's no contract, and no penalty for leaving the cell phone service for a competitor. Some providers of pre-paid and flat cellular plans include MetroPCS, TracFone, Liberty Wireless, and Pocket Communications. Find out more about pre-paid cell phone service at Business.com.

What's next from cellular service providers EVDO, UMTS, 3G and 4G ... there's an alphabet soup of acronyms, but it all means one thing: Cellular networks are catching up to broadband in terms of speed. That means online maps, people locaters, micropayments -- even live TV right on your phone.

I recommend:  Cell phone plans won't change much, and you'll need to upgrade your phone, but for business users, high-speed data over cellular means power on the road. Take a look at some of the so-called "smartphone" options coming out from Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola. Find more options for smartphones at Business.com.