The Basics: What is Solavei?

Solavei. Some are calling it a social revolution against big business. Others call it a scam and a fraud. We prefer to call it what it is: heavily discounted T-Mobile Monthly4G service with a nice monthly referral bonus structure. Yes, that is ultimately what Solavei is, and if anyone tells you differently, then they are either just trying to make a buck off you or just have the wrong information.

Let's start with what Solavei is all about, lower cost cellular service. Solavei is an Mobile Network Virtual Operator of the T-Mobile network. This is nothing new to the industry as many MVNO's operate on all of the major carriers within the United States. For example: Page Plus and Verizon Wireless, Red Pocket Mobile and AT&T, Kroger's iWireless service and Sprint, the list goes on and on, so MVNO services should not scare anyone off as the coverage is usually just as strong as the major carrier's network coverage.

Solavei comes into the mix of MVNO's with a smartphone only plan at a low cost of $49 per month. They have a bring your own GSM device plan that will cost you $29 for a SIM card, $49 for the enrollment fee and $49 for your first month. The total buy in without a handset is $137 plus taxes. If you don't already own a compatible phone (see below,) Solavei has three models to choose from. These included the modestly priced ZTE Origin for $159, the HTC Wildfire S at $249 and the HTC One S for $529. The minimum cost to enter the Solavei program when purchasing a device is $247. This is hardly a free investment, but it is about the same cost as a 2 year contract phone from a major carrier.

Now that the costs have been established, what do you get for that $49 a month in comparison to what you are getting now with that higher price monthly plan? Many people that are considering switching haven't looked at their bill, but rather just look at their total monthly payment and wonder if there is a cheaper option. There is a cheaper option out there, but for now, let's look at your usage. If you are on an unlimited plan, with all the voice minutes, text messages and data you can use, then this plan is a good match. If you are on the minimum minutes, don't text much and don't own a smartphone, go visit our friends at Red Pocket Mobile for their $19.99 or $29.99 plans as you will save even more money every month.

If you are one of those smartphone users, particularly an Android user, then you can keep reading this. Sure, Solavei touts their "unlocked GSM" compatible network, but what isn't said is that unlocked AT&T and world phones lack the proper 3G/4G network frequencies to use the T-Mobile HSPA+ network. This means your iPhone will have the speed of an old dial-up modem instead of that blazing fast 4G network. What also isn't covered at this point will be the rollover to LTE technology when that becomes available, but we will address that later on as well.

So, let's sum up the device options for people that are coming on board first. If you want to use the Solavei network, you had better find an unlocked T-Mobile Android phone to use if you want the best experience. While iPhones, Windows Phones and even BlackBerry devices can be used, all of them will require some editing of the Access Point Name, or APN, to use features like picture messaging and internet browsing. Worse case scenario, the ZTE Origin isn't a bad phone, but don't expect to get the performance of that Samsung Galaxy S II that you've been carrying around for a while now, it's just not that strong of offering.

If you are still reading, you must be more than a bit interested, or, you are just waiting for us to get to the money part of Solavei. It's a very difficult subject to approach, mainly because if you are getting in to Solavei for the instant cash, and not to save money on your cellular costs, you better have one heck of a social network in place. Figure the average good sales person can hit one out of ten people, and out of those 10% that take the pitch, 90% of them are probably in a long term cell contract already and have no desire to break it. Even with that group of 100 people that you think will be your ticket to gold, you'll probably end up with 1 or 2 that decide that Solavei will work for them, which gets you nothing.

That said, let's pretend for a minute that it is a best case scenario and you get 15 people to sign up that first month. The first thing you will see is a few of what they call Fast Action Bonuses. These bonuses are paid when you get a set amount of "Trios" or groups of three users, to sign up within the first 60 days you are a member of Solavei. If you get 4 trios signed up, you get a FAB of $650 total. That's $50 for your first, $100 for your second, $200 for your third and $300 for the fourth. 12 people, $650. The FAB is the easiest way to make Solavei payoff, but the long term earnings can be substantial if the service is good enough for those that you send in to it.

You might find you want to stay right where you are with your $100+ a month cell phone bill. If you are willing to step out a bit, take a chance on a new company with a great vision, you might not only save $600+ a year on your cellular bill, but you might even find a bit of income on the side to take that vacation you've been thinking about, or maybe just make enough to head out on the town for a night. Either way, you're still getting a lower cost cellular plan with the amazing opportunity to earn a bit of income from it.

Next up, we will cover how Solavei can pay these great bonuses for those that are in social marketing, and better yet, for those that want to get into social marketing.