Discount Long Distance Service
Since the breakup of AT&T some 20 years ago, the
marketplace has evolved into a virtually unlimited array
of options for your
long distance
service. Today one can choose from many different
types of discount long distance service, including
Unlimited Long Distance Service,
and Flat Rate Long Distance
Service. These offerings fall into 3 categories:
Tiered
Long Distance Plans – These
long distance service plans
have some combination
of rates that vary by time of day and/or day of the
week. The most common rate tiers are day, night, and
weekend. These plans tend to be offered by the larger
carriers, and many times are the ones that are offered
by your local phone service provider. Unless you take
advantage of calling during the selected times, you will
find these are among the most expensive plans.
Flat Rate
Long Distance Service - A growing trend in
discount long distance service,
all minutes are offered at one rate per minute. They
represent a great chance for saving for the home office
worker. Depending on the amount of your usage these are
among the lowest cost plans. Three items to keep your
eye on when evaluating these plans: monthly service
charges (some have them), monthly minimums, and direct
credit card billing. These can significantly raise your
cost per minute or limit your flexibility.
Unlimited Long Distance Service – The
newest plan in the game. These plans offer
unlimited long distance service
for a flat fee. These can be great money savers for high
volume users, but if your actual usage is not high
enough you may lose out. Availability is an issue with
these plans, they are not available everywhere.
Conventionally based plans made popular by TalkAmerica, MCI or
Verizon, are not available in some marketplaces. The
Voice over IP plans from companies like Vonage require high speed
internet connections to function properly. Thankfully
the numbers of us who can take advantage of
Unlimited Long Distance Service
Plans is increasing rapidly each year.
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