Question

AT&T charges $48 per month and $0.10 per text message, while T-Mobile charges $80 per month and $0.06 per text message. Which company should Sam choose, and why? Explain using mathematical information.

Answer 1

After calculating the average monthly texting cost for both AT&T and T-Mobile based on the average user sending 41.5 text messages per day, T-Mobile is the cheaper option at $154.70/month, compared to AT&T's $172.50/month. Therefore, Sam should choose T-Mobile to save on monthly expenses.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which company Sam should choose, we need to calculate the monthly cost for both AT&T and T-Mobile, based on Sam's texting habits. If Sam is an average text message user, it's useful first to understand the average daily number of texts, which is then translated into a monthly expenditure for each plan.

Firstly, it's given that text message users receive or send an average of 41.5 text messages per day. To find the monthly cost:

• Calculate the average number of texts per month: 41.5 texts/day × 30 days/month = 1245 texts/month.
• Calculate the cost for AT&T: $48/month + ($0.10/text × 1245 texts) = $48 + $124.50 = $172.50/month.
• Calculate the cost for T-Mobile: $80/month + ($0.06/text × 1245 texts) = $80 + $74.70 = $154.70/month.

Comparing the two, T-Mobile offers the cheaper option for an average user who sends 1245 texts per month. Therefore, Sam should choose T-Mobile as it saves money in comparison to AT&T given the text messaging habits of the average user.