Telephone Services

You will find that U.S. citizens consider the telephone a necessity and depend on it as their primary means of social and business communication. For convenience, you may wish to purchase a cell (or mobile) phone, though it is important to consider the fact that cell phone plans in the U.S. tend to be more expensive than those in many other countries. Be careful about purchasing free phones with a cell phone carrier as you will most likely have to complete a contract (commonly two years) including an expensive monthly plan.

Electronic retail stores such as Best Buy® or the electronic section of Target® offer options for nearly any phone carrier in store (cheaper carriers include Virgin Mobile® or Cricket®). Sales associates may be able to assist you in finding an appropriate phone and plan for your budget. Certain carriers (such as AT&T®, Verizon®, and T-Mobile®) may also have retail outlets with only their own products and services; only visit these stores if you are interested in only that carrier. Research your options well and don’t be afraid to ask someone for help.

Dialing Telephone Numbers on Campus

If you are calling a UNW telephone number from a UNW telephone, you can often use the last four digit extension (ext.) number. For instance, for Public Safety—651-631-5310—you can just dial ext. 5310. But you must dial the full number if you are calling from a mobile phone or from off campus.

FOR EMERGENCIES: DIAL 911. THIS IS ONE TELEPHONE NUMBER THAT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER FOR EMERGENCIES, FIRE, MEDICAL and POLICE. The other important number is Northwestern’s Office of Public Safety: 651-631-5310 or simply dial ext. 5310 from any UNW phone on campus. If you have a cell phone, please add this number to your phone’s directory.

Phone Cards

Phone cards can be purchased in many locations such as pharmacies, grocery stores, the post office and convenience stores. These cards have the phoning procedural instructions on the back for making long distance calls. Some cards can be used for overseas phone calls, and some can’t. Be sure to read the fine print on the backs of the cards, before purchasing, so that you know what services and costs are attached to that particular card.

Types of Long Distance Telephone Calls

Calling cards must be used for long distance calls. To make an off-campus call, you must dial “9" for Twin Cities area calls or “8" for long distance calls outside the Twin Cities before dialing any other code.

Station-to-Station

You speak directly with whoever answers the telephone. This type of call is least expensive and may be dialed directly by dialing 8, your authorization code, 9, 1, and ten-digit number. If you are calling on a pay phone, the operator will tell you how much money to deposit to talk for three minutes.

Person-to-Person

With this type of call you must tell the operator to whom you want to speak and you pay only if that person is available. To reach the operator, dial 8, your authorization code, 9, 0, and 10-digit number. When the operator answers say, "I want to make this person-to-person to speak to (person's name)."

Collect Call

The person being called, not the caller, pays for the call. To call collect follow the same steps as above in making a person-to-person call, except when the operator answers say, "I wish to make this a collect call. My name is (your name)."

International Calls

Students can obtain a phone card at local businesses, the post office or Sam’s Club (most cost efficient per minute). The International coverage will differ with each card, so check on the back of the card for the information regarding international calling that applies to that particular card. An international or prepaid cell phone may be other options.