Bill

Investigation

Month 30 days
Nikita prepaid 0.18 USD/min
Nikita postpaid 17 USD, 1-250 min 0.97 USD above 250 min
Supercell prepaid 0.49 USD/min
Supercell postpaid 32 USD, 1-90 min, 0.18 USD above 90 min

Nikita Nikita Supercell Supercell

min/Day min/ Month
Prepaid Postpaid Prepaid Postpaid
Son 7 210 37.8 17 102.9 53.6
Father 15 450 81 162.5 220.5 96.8
Mother 10 300 54 65.5 147 69.8
Daughter 3 90 16.2 17 44.1 32

Varga's mobile plan

221

163
147

103
97
81
70 66
54 54
44
38
32
16 17 17

Father 450 min Mother 300 min Daughter 90 min Son 210 min

Supercell Prepaid Supercell Postpaid Nikita Prepaid Nikita Postpaid

I have chosen this type of graph, because it shows very simple the lowest price and the
cheapest company. For example, this graph shows very clearly, Nikita is cheapest company for
whole family.
Report
Graph is very simple and shows directly, what is the lowest price for each family member. The
dark blue scale symbolized Nikita Prepaid. This plan is the cheapest by Father, Mother and
Daughter. Son has got the cheapest plan as Postpaid but by Nikita too. When I go back to
Daughter, you can see very small difference between Nikita Prepaid and Nikita Postpaid in his
case. There is the difference between these plans 0.8 cents only. I counted by formula
x=(17.00/16.2)*90 that if Daughter would call 3.15 minutes more 3.00 minutes, it is better for her
to buy Nikita Postpaid.
The summary:
If we assume, Monthly 30 days, we know, Father calls the biggest amount of minutes, 450. The
best plan for him is Nikita Prepaid for 81 USD to his consumption. There is the difference
between Supercell Prepaid and Nikita Prepaid 139,50 USD/ month. When we are tracking his
difference between Postpaid and Prepaid basically, the Nikita plan is the cheapest. Mother calls
10min/ day, it seems, not so big amount, but totally it is 300 minutes per Month. It is near to
Nikita postpaid plan, what has very cheap plan in the relationship to the minutes consumption.
250 minutes for 17 USD is nice. But 50 minutes decides, that is better to by Prepaid, but Nikita.
Daughter call 90 minutes per Month only, that is why the selection was clear without any big
calculation and for her is the best Nikita Prepaid in which she will pay 16.20 USD/ Month. The
family has to thin a little bit about the second possibility to buy Nikita Postpaid, because if she
would call 3.15 minutes instead of 3.00 minutes, is better to have Nikita Postpaid for 17 USD
and she has 160 minutes buffer. This confirms Son, he calls totally 210 minutes and he has 40
minutes buffer for price 17 USD/ Month.

Missing
For better planning of the partial plans is missing the information about the age. If I would know,
how old are the children, I could suggest not the pure calculation based decision but I could also
count with this “risk”. E. g. I can assume, Daughter is small children, she calls to Grandparents
only, or parents. But if she would be 11 or 12, I guess, she would have more friends for calling.
The same situation is with Son. 7 minutes is very small amount, it really seams, they are very
small children. Would be also good to know, which period or century is taken this sample. It
seems end of 20 century, because the plans are expensive a little bit.

Suggestion for family members

1) Speak with Nikita about the special plan for Varga’s family
2) Do analyze after some time what is their current need vs. plan
3) Buy for children one plan only
Degree of Accuracy
Accuracy of data is correct. I have seen similar offers in my Country too. There is big gap
between the companies indeed, but basically data is correct.
I cannot see any rounding off, the prices are offered in in hundredths, so it is typical in such
these offers. Price is always in hundredths.
I did not rounded off any calculation.
Error could happened if I would forget count what is above 90 or 250 minutes. Would be also
possible to count by assumption, month has 31 days or February 28 days, weekends etc.
Relevance of solution in context of real-life situation
The counted result has definitely sense. This offer and calculation is common in my country too.
There are 4 competitors who offers similar plans. The task shows, the data is most probably 10
years old, because of missing internet plans. Today’ s offers are mostly connected with voice
and data. But, for our sample is given data OK from the mathematics training point of view.
The global context I could see if I would bring the task more to the reality. There is T-Mobile
company to my country (Czechia). T-Mobile is to Poland, Germany and many others European
countries. There is very often goes discussion on, which tariff/ plan, is where cheaper. My
country is famous because of very expensive plans. Also here to India, the plans are very
cheap, I would say with comparison to all Europe.
The similar task I can see by the TV plan, Internet plan etc.