Cricket and Sun Cellular are just two examples of a growing number of service providers who offer a great deal: unlimited talk time, flat rates. But users avoid them, due to reliability and coverage issues.

These unlimited voice plans aren't really for everyone. Both Cricket and Sun do have problems with coverage area and capacity. For those who stay in one area, and frequently call the same group of people however, unlimited plans can bring a lot of savings. Here's the simple three-step scheme:

Everyone in the group gets an unlimited plan. Which can be actually quite simple. Sun's prepaid accounts go for low as $5, and require only $2 credit every month. While Cricket's flat rate applies to any call, Sun only gives a free ride to those calling other Sun subscribers. Which means that everyone might have to sign up for the same service provider.

Everyone gets a cheap phone. Remember, these mobiles will only be for talking to each other. So you don't need all those high-tech features. Even hand-me-downs and old models will do.

Everyone stays in well-covered areas. Operators tend to maximize their coverage in busy commercial districts. Those who provide unlimited voice plans are no exception. This makes sure anyone can easily stay in touch, and limits the reliability issues somewhat.

An Example: Most of my company's employees and field officers have an unlimited plan, use it on a cheap phone, and during the day stay in my city's business districts. It's thus easy for anyone in the office to call someone in the field, and vice-versa, while taking advantage of the service's flat rates. Some of them have saved as much as $10000 a year thanks to scheme.