U.S. Cellular Partners With Comedian And Filmmaker Mark Malkoff; Announces 'No Phone Challenge'

CHICAGO, Feb. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Cellular is partnering with comedian and filmmaker Mark Malkoff to create the "U.S. Cellular No Phone Challenge," a social experiment to see what happens when an avid mobile phone user goes an entire week without their device. Malkoff, who is noted for such challenges as living in a furniture store for a week or spending 48 hours handcuffed to his wife, will spend seven days, beginning today, going through his daily routine without being able to use his mobile phone. U.S. Cellular also challenges Americans to spend up to one week without their mobile phone and to share how it affects their routine and personal relationships on Twitter by using the hashtag "#nophone."

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140205/CG58777)

"I can't imagine life without my mobile phone for a week. It's going to feel so like 1988 (minus the parachute pants). I know I will miss out on sweet text messages from my wife, I will probably get lost around the city, and will hopefully not be late to any meetings or else I won't be able to alert anyone," said Malkoff. "No doubt I'll appreciate my mobile phone even more when this is over, and I'll be even more thankful for daily texts and photos from friends and family as Valentine's Day rolls around."

With nearly half of Americans pledging to communicate more often with family and friends in 2014, mobile phones will prove to be essential for those looking to create better moments with those they care about. So essential in fact, that one in five smartphone owners would rather live without food and water than their mobile devices, according to a recent U.S. Cellular survey[i]. The survey found 76 percent of smartphone users would rather live without chocolate, while 69 percent would rather live without caffeine.

"It's easy to take your mobile phone - and all that it does for you - for granted when you are covered by U.S. Cellular," said Jay Ellison, executive vice president of sales and customer service for U.S. Cellular. "Our customers love their network and don't have to worry about dropped calls or no network coverage since our high-speed network has the highest call quality of any national carrier. We deliver an unmatched customer experience and know that having an unreliable network, one that doesn't cover you where you work, live and play, is almost as bad as not having your phone at all."

Malkoff will share his experiences without a mobile phone on his social media accounts and chronicle all the things he cannot do, such as sharing pictures of his favorite New York sites, checking email while away from the computer or using GPS to find a destination.

"I've had the opportunity to experience U.S. Cellular's fast, reliable network and have grown to love how quickly and conveniently I can connect with my friends and family," said Malkoff. "This experiment in going 'off the grid' is going to be quite an adjustment for myself and those close to me."

For those looking to simplify their routine and enhance connections with loved ones or work colleagues, U.S. Cellular is offering $100 off all smartphones for new customers or when adding a new line. For a limited time, phones including the Samsung Galaxy S® 4 Mini, Samsung Galaxy Mega™and the Motorola Moto X™ are only a penny. Beginning tomorrow and ending March 31, the Samsung Galaxy S® 4 will also be included in this deal.

The public can follow Malkoff's "No Phone Challenge" at www.uscellular.com/nophone,  Twitter.com/mmalkoff, Facebook.com/mmalkoff and Youtube.com/user/markmalkoff.

Two year agreement required, other restrictions apply. See store or uscellular.com for full details. 

¹ Between November 15 - December 2, 2013, 500 nationally representative online interviews were conducted among smartphone users in partnership with Martiz Research.

About U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular rewards its customers with unmatched benefits and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier has a strong line-up of cutting-edge devices that are all backed by its high-speed network that has the highest call quality of any national carrier. Currently, nearly 90 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds. U.S. Cellular was named a J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Champion in 2012 for the second year in a row. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.

SOURCE U.S. Cellular