Penn partners with two cellular providers (AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless) to provide discounted service to Penn’s faculty, staff, and in some cases, students, entitling them to a service discount. Since the discount program commenced in 2004, nearly 9,000 Penn faculty, staff and students have enrolled in the cellular program resulting in over 10 million dollars in savings to the Penn community. In some cases, a small portion of your monthly service plan is refunded to the University, providing financial support for various telecommunications initiatives such as the installation and ongoing support of Public Safety emergency phones.
Cellular services for Penn faculty, staff, and students is ordered directly from one of our partner vendors. Different rules apply depending on your affiliation with the University and whether you or your department will pay for the service. If you already have an account with one of the partner vendors, you may still apply for the discount. To order service or request the Penn discount, follow the link below for the vendor of your choice and follow the instructions.
Discounts are available on most plans. Please check with the individual carriers for any restrictions.
| VENDOR | YOU PAY | YOUR DEPARTMENT PAYS |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T Wireless | Employee & Student Individual Responsibility | Corporate Responsibility |
| Verizon Wireless | Employee Use | Business Use |
Please note that all links require a PennKey.
Choosing Service Plans
The number and variety of service plans and cell phones offered can be daunting. As you compare service and equipment, consider the following:
- Where and how often you travel may narrow your options - Local plans may be perfect for someone who seldom leaves town, but these plans sometimes charge extra for long distance and international calls. Also calls made overseas require a different type of cell phone than those most often used in the United States, so be sure you choose a phone that is compatible with your calling needs.
- More than one digital network exists to support cellular phone service - Some phones will only work with one digital network. Be sure to review each vendor's coverage map for their particular network to make sure it includes the areas in which you most often travel. It is possible to choose a cell phone that works on more than one digital network.
- Take a little time to research - Cellular phone service comparison web sites (like www.letstalk.com) may help you narrow your options further. The easiest way to find these web sites is to type "cellular phone service comparison" into your favorite search engine. And if you find a cellular phone that you like, a search on its name and model number will often lead to customer reviews.
- Vendor representatives can help you choose the right plan for you - If you're too impatient to read reviews and service plan descriptions, consider contacting one of our vendor representatives. See our vendor information below for a sales representative's phone and email contact information.