Choices in wireless phones and service plans boggle the mind of the average consumer. Which phone is best? Should I buy two phones? Which coverage area is to my advantage? Where do I find the best deal in receiving free incoming calls?

Should I pay more for minutes or more for the extra features? Caller ID is helpful; three-way conferencing could come in handy.

Having e-mail on my wireless phone surely would put me on the cutting edge of technology.

Does it make sense to use a wireless phone as my only phone?

In Natchez, three providers who sell phones and services have plans ranging from the most basic – for the user who may want a wireless phone only occasionally – to plans offering 2,000 free minutes and unlimited calls at night and on the weekend.

The savvy consumer will choose carefully to suit his or her own needs, and specialists at the three Natchez companies can help.

BellSouth Mobility, Cellular South and Centennial operate in close range of one another, BellSouth and Centennial on John R. Junkin Drive not far from the Canal Street intersection and Cellular South, also on John R. Junkin but near the Homochitto Street intersection.

A perusal of many plans led to selections from each company, not to contrast specific costs or minutes provided but, rather, to demonstrate kinds of plans available.

At BellSouth Mobility, a plan attractive to those who want coverage in the Southern states offers 200 minutes for $35 in a huge coverage area, including states from Virginia and Kentucky to the north to Georgia and Florida to the south and across as far as Louisiana and Arkansas.

Cellular South has a plan called the Digital America Plan, providing from 100 to 1,500 free minutes at prices ranging from $34.95 for the 100 minutes and up from there.

The Digital America plans provide free service for minutes purchased within the entire United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

At Centennial, a Christmas promotion stands out as a choice for wireless consumers.

With the Centennial OneFone, customers get 2,400 minutes for $49.99. That’s 1,800 incoming minutes and 600 outgoing minutes.

The free minutes are within Centennial’s Primary Coverage area, which includes central and southern Mississippi and much of Louisiana.

The Centennial plan also gives customers the option of buying a phone at $29.99 and getting a second one free.

Phone equipment is available at all three businesses and at other electronics stores and electronics departments of discount stores. Usually the phone service provider can program a phone that was not purchased at the wireless company.

Some wireless service providers, however, require users to have dual band, tri-mode phones, which will operate on bands A and B and will operate on analog, digital and personal communications systems.

Terms such as analog, band A, roaming and spectrum add to the confusion of new wireless customers.

These terms, specialists say, fall easily into place as users become acquainted with the new equipment and service.