Cell phones for the homeless
New York,
NY- Bobzaguy- Since the cell phone market is maturing, where are the phone companies going to go to increase sales? The Homeless. Problem is there is no mail address to send the monthly bills. And prepaid also works for people with permanent home addresses as well.
Solution: Coin Cell Phones.
 
Thanks to emerging technology, it is possible to retro-fit any cell phone into a coin phone for the homeless. According to marketing people at Verizon, this solution erases the need for a billing address, and brings upwards of 50-60 million new phone accounts into play.
As many homeless once probably had a real phone number, or were married to someone who did, this could be easily reinstated without the address. And since there would be no billing, it doesn't matter what the new phone users want to call themselves.
Like docking stations for iPods, the new battery-operated coin devices plug into the cell phones and allow the phone to operate whenever a coin is inserted. Just insert 25¢ and you get 2 minutes of hassle-free talk, anywhere in the world.
Since miniaturization has had its effects on cell phone size, the new coin attachment will only be able to accept a limited number of coins. But, as soon as the phone's owner fills the capacity, all he has to do is empty the coins and mail them in to Verizon. On receipt, Verizon automatically reactivates the phone to accept more coins. Simply a matter of a 4-5 day postal turn-around.
Verizon intends to be able to offer walk-up coin deposit service at their company stores as quickly as they can assure that there are accurate coin counters on staff. This will speed the payment process for cell phone users.
Verizon's first coin phones will be able to accept $3 worth of quarters before the phones shut down until payment is received. As the size of quarters is not
foreseen to be miniaturized soon, this will remain a small problem for the user. However, Verizon is optimistic that the homeless will be so excited to be able to call each other and long-lost family, to aimlessly chatter away about nothing, just like the real folks do, that they will register few complaints.
In the future, Verizon conjectures the possibility of a credit card swipe slot being added. Not that there is a big chance that any homeless will acquire a Visa card soon, but if a miniaturized printout can be invented, then the homeless will be able to receive credit card donations in 25¢ increments from anyone on the street and give back a receipt.
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