Landlines For Less
How to save on telephone service
costs so that you can afford to have the benefits of both wired
and cell phones.
By: John Shepler
Wired phone services have important advantages,
as do cellular phone services. Why not have both? With a little
judicious shopping, you can save a lot on your local and long
distance calling.
You Can Make a Better Deal
Start with your local phone company. Call the customer service
department and ask what you absolute lowest cost option is, short
of quitting. There may be lower cost plans available that just
aren't being advertised. Consider alternate suppliers. Competitive
Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) may be able to give you local
phone service at a more attractive price than your current provider.
Consider dropping the guaranteed line repair
protection charge. The wires in your house don't degrade and
are unlikely to break, even after many decades. You could be
paying around $60 a year for this service. When's the last time
a wire broke inside the house? Outside the house is the phone
company's responsibility.
Next, switch to a much lower rate long
distance service. Oh, you say you already switched a few years
ago? Are you still paying more than 5 cents a minute for interstate
calls? Do daytime calls cost even more? Do you pay a monthly
fee? If so, you need to switch again. The long distance service
market is highly competitive and there are bargains galore. Especially
from lesser known companies you can find online that don't advertise
on TV.
How Do You Choose?
There are so many local and long distance phone options available
to you that the big problem is often how to choose. Be scientific.
Use your latest or most typical phone bill for comparison. How
many minutes a month do you use for local calls? You might have
to guess on this one if you pay per call instead of per minute.
How many minutes a month on interstate calls, in-state long distance
and local toll calls? You need to consider them individually
because each type of call may be billed at a different rate.
Now, visit a number of alternate suppliers and make a little
chart that lists the various rates for each supplier. Also include
monthly charges, if any.
An easier method is to use a Best Rates
Calculator to evaluate a number of long distance suppliers at
once. Enter your calling minutes, click on the "perform
calculation" button, and check the results. The plan with
the lowest total bill for your particular location and calling
pattern is the right one for you.
How About Broadband Phone?
Do you have a DSL or cable modem service? If so, you have the
option to make calls on your computer, use a special Internet
phone, or buy an adaptor that lets your regular phone be an Internet
phone. Why use the Internet for phone calls? The rates can be
very attractive, especially for overseas calls.
Other Considerations
With a landline, you can also get inbound toll free service for
the same rates that you pay for long distance calls. Your own
toll free number can be very useful for a home business or as
an enticement for college students to call home.
If you're still thinking of dropping your
wired home phone service, be sure to read "Why
You Need a Landline" before you decide to take the plunge.
You might be surprised at some of the advantages of wired phone
services.
Visit our Services
page or Try a FREE Instant online quotation from multiple long
distance phone companies.
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