Long Distance Phone Rates Comparison
Are you trying to compare all those discounted long distance plans and services that are being advertised on the Internet? Thanks to the never ending price-war between long distance carriers, we finally pay as little as 2.5¢ per minute for out-of-state phone calls or inbound toll-free service with the same quality of service that we've had with AT&T or MCI for years - a fraction of what the average long distance consumer had to pay for a long distance call just 5 years ago. And with the recent invention of broadband telephone services or Voice-over-IP services, you have even more great choices. But intensified competition easily leads to some sort of uniformity among the rate plans of various companies and price-transparency is exactly what marketing departments of long distance carriers are seeking to avoid. Consequently, they have introduced a wider choice of rate plans to differentiate themselves
and render actual head-to-head cost comparisons more difficult. Their ultimate goal is to keep you as a loyal subscriber with good potential of upselling some other services that are way more profitable for them
- not necessarily saving you the most money on long distance calls in the first place.
Almost every long distance company now advertises different rate plans by geographical location. NOT ONLY does it make a huge difference whether you live in Washington or South Dakota but you also need to consider whether you mostly call out-of-state or whether the majority of your calls are within your home state.
With thousands of long distance services competing for your business these days and claiming the best rates, it is virtually impossible to choose the best service without hours of research!
To simplify finding the cheapest long distance service based on your personal calling pattern, we provide you with a free price-comparison tool that takes into consideration NOT ONLY the long distance rates itself but also surcharges, taxes and the impact of all the little fees that often inflates consumers phone bills by up to 100%! Our search tool draws from a database of a selected number of popular discount long distance carriers that offer competitive rates and received positive reviews from customers over time.
>> Click here to browse all recommended carriers and their plans
Do You Have an "Always-On" High-Speed
Internet Connection?
If you access the internet using a high-speed medium such as Cable or
DSL, why not turn your existing phone into
an almost-free VoIP internet telephone? Free yourself from per-minute
long distance rates forever. You could be making your calls for a small
flat monthly fee and benefit from unbelievable international rates, too.
Learn more about broadband phone service technology here
Want to Pay Less on Local Phone Service?
Compare
bundled local and long distance phone services and reduce your monthly fees to the
minimum.
Running a Small Business? If
you require enterprise services and would like an instant rates
comparison with the cheapest prices on the Internet, click here and
let dozens of carriers fight for your business!
Calling Mostly International?
Click here for the international version of our best rates search
tool.
Need the Best Calling Card Rates for Travel? Many long
distance companies charge well above 10¢ per minute for domestic calling
card calls or add surcharges! Read our
review of some of the best stand-alone long distance calling cards
that charge only 3.9 cents a minute with no surcharges or connection
fees.
How Does the Best Rates Search Tool Work?
After
collecting some basic information about your calling-pattern, a "sample" overall bill for multiple
discount long distance carriers with the absolute 'lowest bill' appearing on the top of the list is calculated. The real-time
calculation process considers special rates (if applicable in scenario),
taxes, surcharges, monthly fees and any other items. Calling plans that
are not available in your geographical area are automatically filtered
out.
State-to-State Minutes - Enter the number of calling
minutes to another state. If you are like most other average Americans,
this number would be anywhere between 100 and 360 minutes per month but
could be much higher if you are a business owner and make long or
frequent interstate long distance calls. Use a recent phone bill for
accurate figures.
In-State Minutes - If you make long distance calls
within your home state (also referred to as intrastate or intralata
calls), enter the estimated number of minutes per month. Leave it blank
if you do not make in-state long distance calls - rates are probably not
important to you.
Line Type - It could make a difference whether you are
a residential or business long distance customer. Some companies might
give you different rates or packages. Take home any savings you are
offered!
Country You Call Most - Are you making international
long distance calls? If you want your favorite carrier to also provide
great savings on worldwide calls, make sure you select the destination
you call most often.
Inbound Toll Free 800 -
Do you want your own 800 number (or transfer an existing to a cheaper carrier)?
It's indispensable for
businesses and also a smart way to let your family members or friends
call you free (sometimes even cheaper than a calling card)! Add average
monthly minutes to interstate minutes.
Tips for Choosing Long Distance -
That super-low 2.x¢ long distance rate for interstate calls might not always
be a wise choice when you're burning cash at 10¢ a minute to call your
relatives or customers just
a few miles
away. Special needs must also be considered: do you need toll-free
service with your plan and
- do you expect a higher number of incoming
calls from your home state than from out of state? Do you make
international calls and call specific countries? Are your calls rather
short or long (billing increments can dramatically inflate per-minute
rates)
To complicate matters even more, several taxes and FCC fees appear on
your bill and some carriers make a profit
by collecting more than they would actually be required.
Long
Distance Rates and Plans in Our Comparison Database