"Wireless phone subscription over the last especially three to four years has been much more democratic than it had been previously," says Jeffrey C. Nelson, spokesperson for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. "The social scientists are suggesting that $40 to $50 per month is psychologically a break point where the general public is much more likely to subscribe."

And college students have the most to gain as the industry looks to establish connections with a younger generation.

Many students with cell phones say flexible and cheap phone plans were hard to pass up.

Ebbel says he originally signed up for his cellular plan with Omnipoint because of its 10 cents-per-minute plan, which offered a significant savings over daytime phone rates available through the Harvard Student Telephone Office.

Rather than pay about 30 cents per minute during the day with Harvard's normal phone rates, Ebbel signed up for a plan that at $50 per month gives him 500 minutes of calling time. The plan allows him to call anywhere in the country--even to his home state of California.

Healer too says, because she makes so many calls to New York, she would rather use a cell that charges local rates to call New York instead of calling from Winthrop.

But perhaps more than anything else, students say the convenience of cell phones makes them all the more worthwhile.

Ebbel, who is one of the founders of Collegebeans.com, an Internet company that allows users to personalize on-line resources, says having a cell phone allows him to stay connected at all times.