Keeping Shafter connected

Today, people find it more important than ever to stay connected through their cell phones, computers and tablets. Shafter Wireless, located at 311 Central Ave., is equipped to keep customers of all carriers connected.

Albert Ceballos and his son Albert Jr. have been providing the community with service for over five years at their current location. Before that, he operated Shafter Discount Store, which was just down the street at 200 Central Ave. Major surgery put Albert out of commission for almost a yea, forcing him to close the store. When he was back on his feet, he opted to open a cellular shop.

Shafter Wireless is a multicarrier operation, meaning they can work with whatever carrier a customer has, be it AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or others.

The business sells a variety of phones – some unlocked – which means they can take a SIM card or be set up to any provider.

Ceballos said prepaid services are more popular than ever. "People sometimes don't want that contract hanging over their head. They can just pay a flat rate for service and not be in a long-term commitment."

The store also does repairs to broken screens, fixes battery issues and offers a wide variety of accessories, including cases, chargers, ear buds, headphones, speakers and travel kits. "People need to stay connected no matter where they go now, which means they need travel chargers, battery packs, anything that will keep them powered up on the go."

Ceballos said iPhones are probably his biggest sellers, although they also sell a lot of Samsung phones.

A unique service the store provides is the ability to pay phone bills in a different country. They can do transactions to pay bills in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and other countries. "We also do money transfers to Central America, South America and a lot of transfers to Mexico."

Shafter has been home to Ceballos and his family since 2004, and he says he couldn't ask for a better city to live in. "We came from the San Fernando Valley, and it was just chaos. Shafter is so peaceful and friendly. It is such as great place to raise your kids and call home."