As mentioned in my cell phone tip about reading the manual, it can pay to know your cell phone's features and how it reports information to you - literally! Knowing whether your cell phone is roaming or not can prevent you from making a potentially costly call.

Just because you are in a city that is supposed to be covered by a cell phone's network doesn't mean that "holes" or breaks in coverage can't occur. For example, on a recent trip to Sanibel, my cell phone switched from digital network to analog network to roaming - all while walking between rooms inside a single condo!

Your network status can change even when traveling extremely small distances, so if you want to save money, always check your cell phone's status and icons before making calls.

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