3 Ways Prepaid Phones Rely on Technology to Function

One of the most appealing attributes of prepaid phones is their relatively low-tech feature set. They don’t have so many options that users feel like they’re swimming in a virtual sea of menus and buttons. You might be surprised to learn that they’re actually every bit as high-tech as nearly every other smartphone on the market. As these examples show, prepaid handsets actually use all of the same technologies that the latest fancy models do. In fact, some wireless carriers even offer these models in a prepaid format.

1. Network Switches and Wire Centers

Since prepaid phones still rely on the publicly switched telephone network, they connect to wire centers via a cell tower the same way that all other mobile phones do. When someone places a call or sends a text, their handset sends out routing information attached to the other person’s phone number. The tower receives this and sends it to a specialized type of wired data center known as a central office building.

Computers inside of this structure send the connection to the right wireless customer on the other end. Though seamless to the user, this process requires a massive amount of technology infrastructure that’s been built up since the days of rotary dials.

2. Processing Billing Information

Wireless customers who don’t want a contract use a prepaid refill service to restore service to their handsets without having to spend tons of money. It’s an affordable process that’s much simpler than using a traditional wireless service. At least, it’s simpler for them. Long-distance providers have to use special technology solutions to figure out how many airtime minutes someone has left and how long they can use their handset before they run out of them.

They do this by watching the number of packets that come in and out of a particular customer’s connection. Once a call hangs up, they deduct the number of minutes of said call from a variable stored in computer memory. This prevents users from being overcharged. Customers who frequently use said phones may develop certain usage patterns, which are relatively predictable. As a result, providers can offer composite packages that might save them a good amount of money while also making it easier for said companies to offer unique services such as caller identification.

3. Radio Frequency Transmission

Cellular phones are essentially two-way radio units at heart. Even the simplest prepaid models use some sort of ultra-high frequency transmitter to stay in touch with towers and, therefore, other users. Over the years, some portions of the television broadcast spectrum have gotten reassigned to cell carriers. As the number of handsets in use continues to climb, it’s possible that portions of the so called C-Band area of the electromagnetic spectrum will also become part of the frequency pool used by cell phones. Prepaid customers who have phones made within the last few years will more than likely be able to take advantage of this transition.

Prepaid phones rely on technology to function, and with new technology advances, the market for prepaid phones will continue to grow.