Cell Phone Overview
UC San Diego offers cell phone plans by recharge through IT Services for departmental use.
Note: UC San Diego is not authorized to carry cell phones in the store, due to government contract pricing agreements with cell phone providers.
Ordering a mobile device
To place an order, please submit a ticket, select Get Help & Order Services, under Mobile Phones, select the appropriate category (department's approval required prior to submission). Orders can take up to 3–5 business days.
IT Services processes orders and responds to tickets and voicemail during business hours of Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; we are closed on weekends and campus holidays. If you place an order after these hours, during weekends or holidays, you will be contacted during the next business day that the office is open.
You can order cell phones on a recharge basis from several different providers. Click the links below to contact customer service representatives, link to provider websites, and learn about any UC San Diego special offers:
Please submit a ticket, select Get Help & Order Services, then select Mobile Phones for new cell phone activations, cell phone disconnections, order/upgrade equipment and accessories, plan/feature changes, ports or transfers, and general inquiries.
Upgrading your mobile device
Please note that most vendors adhere to a two-year equipment upgrade eligibility policy in order to receive discounts; if you are not upgrade eligible, you may be charged the full retail price of the device. To find out what your eligibility date is, submit a ticket. Currently, UC San Diego does not offer equipment protection plan or equipment insurance. However, upon your department's approval, you can request to add any available equipment protection plan offered by the carriers.
Early cancellation: we are currently not charged early termination fees per our contracts with the providers. This is subject to change in the future.
Cell phone billing
IT Services maintains all cell phone billing responsibilities for departments that choose to have their bills recharged. These services include maintaining all billing records, uploading monthly cellular statements to Cognos, and making Project-Task-Funding Source (PTF) changes.
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- For billing questions or PTF changes, please submit a ticket
- To view the monthly Cellular billing report, please go to the Cellular Report
Approved Cellular bill rates through 2026:
| Fiscal Year | Billing Fee Per Line |
| FY23/24 | $2.25 |
| FY24/25 | $2.50 |
| FY25/26 | $2.75 |
Rate increase for FY23/24 from $2.00 to $2.25 effective December 2023.
Using cell phones
UC San Diego follows the university-wide guidelines (PDF) for appropriate use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices outside of the workplace. Also see Using UCSD Cell Phones and Using Cell Phones for UCSD Business.
- Cell phones for personal use: Most providers offer UCSD employees discounts for personal purchases. For specific information, contact the sales person directly. You can find their contact information on the websites listed above.
International service
International service varies widely among providers. Voice, data, and text messaging usage while traveling outside the U.S. incur roaming and often high pay-per-use fees. Make sure to ask providers or submit a ticket about international features and rates before traveling. Use the links above to contact sales representatives for the latest information.
Please see the following links for standard global (international) feature details:
Note: Please submit a ticket, select Get Help & Order Services, log in using your Active Directory account, under Mobile Phones, select International Feature Activation/Cancellation to request international features activation for business related trips (department's approval required prior to submission). To ensure that the international features will be activated on time, please submit your ticket at least 2 business days prior. It is also the end user's responsibility to submit another ticket or reply to their prior ticket upon their return to the U.S. to request the international features removal.
Help after purchase
- For help with setting up your cell phone, please contact your individual IT team in your departments.
- To get help with troubleshooting technical issues with your device, contact the providers using the links provided above or the numbers below and ask for technical support.
- For Verizon, contact 800-922-0204, press # to bypass the pin code to reach a live agent and ask for Technical support.
- For all other questions such as recharges/billing, reporting a lost device, submit a ticket.
- Please note that IT Services processes orders and responds to e-mail and voicemail during business hours of Monday through Friday (closed weekends and campus holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you place an order after these hours, during weekends or holidays, you will be contacted during the next business day that the office is open.
- You may find some useful information posted on Cell Phone FAQ.