Long distance

Long distance in telecommunications

refers to telephone calls made outside a certain area, usually characterized by an area code outside of a local call area (known in the United States as a local access and transport area or LATA). Long-distance calls usually carry long-distance charges which, within certain nations, vary between phone companies and are the subject of much competition. International calls are calls made between different countries, and usually carry much higher charges. These calls are charged to the calling party unless the called party accepts a collect call.

Categories and charges
In the United States, long distance can refer to two different classes of calls that are not local calls. The most common class of long-distance is often called interstate long-distance, though the more accurate term is inter-LATA interstate long distance. This is the form of long-distance most commonly meant by the term, and the one for which long-distance carriers are usually chosen by telephone customers.

Another form of long-distance

increasingly relevant to more U.S. states, is known as inter-LATA intrastate long distance. This refers to a calling area outside of the customer’s LATA but within the customer's state. While technically and legally long-distance, this calling area is not necessarily served by the same carrier used for "regular" long distance, or may be provided at different rates. In some cases, customer confusion occurs as, due to rate or carrier distinctions, a local long-distance call can be billed at a higher per-minute rate than interstate long-distance calls, despite being a shorter distance.

Often, in large LATAs

there is also a class known by the oxymoronic name local long distance, which refers to calls within the customer's LATA but outside of their local calling area. This area is normally served by the customer's local telephone provider, which is usually one of the Baby Bells, despite attempts by some CLECs to compete in the local telephone market.

Callers are usually offered a variety of rate "plans" depending on usage

although which plan is cheapest for a given amount of usage is often not obvious. For example, the largest carrier, AT&T (as of February 2007) offers three plans in the United States: $30 per month for unlimited calling, $10 per month for 120 minutes plus 10 cents per minute thereafter, or $2 per month and 10 cents per minute. Graphing rate vs. usage shows that the $2 per month plan is cheapest if calling 80 minutes or less per month, the $10 per month plan is cheapest if calling 80 to 320 minutes per month, and the $30 per month plan is cheapest if calling over 320 minutes per month. Smaller companies including MCI Inc and Pioneer Telephone may offer plans in similar variety at different prices. Some of these plans can be found on sites like PhoneDog that compare a variety of long distance phone and phone card options, giving consumers useful and timely information.

Long Distance Phone Services

Telephone calls made outside the local calling area of a specified location are offered by a long distance phone service company. In general, it is safe to say any call made outside of your own area code - be it another city, state, or even country - will qualify as a long distance call and carry the associated charges.

Local calls generally cost less than long distance calls. The fees for long distance calls are not the same everywhere in the country and can vary depending on the service provider you are using, as well as the plan you have signed up for. In general, the most expensive calls are international calls (placed to foreign countries), but the fees vary greatly, depending on the call destination and service provider.

There are two different designations for non-local calls in the US. Regular long distance calls are designated interstate long distance calls, or inter-LATA interstate long distance calls. However, there is another type of long distance phone call, known as inter-LATA intrastate long distance calls. These are calls to numbers outside of the consumer's local LATA, but within the caller's state. Despite being a long distance call, these calling areas are not necessarily serviced by the same operator, depending on the service providers in the area and various service plans..
For larger LATAs, there is another classification which is known as local long distance or regional calling. This refers to calls that are made within a customer's LATA but are outside the area covered by their local calling plan.

Often you'll find that a local long-distance or regional call can be more expensive and actually have a higher per-minute rate than an interstate long-distance call. This is due to differences between service providers and the plans offered.
International calls are also classified as long distance calls and these are usually the most expensive call that can be placed. Nonetheless, there are many long distance providers in the US, and they are all competing with each other for business, which often leads to affordable rates and special deals for new customers.

Long Distance Phone Services provides detailed information on Long Distance Phone Services, Local And Long Distance Phone Services, Cheap Long Distance Phone Services, Long Distance Phone Service Providers and more. Long Distance Phone Services is affiliated with International Long Distance Carriers.

Unlimited Long Distance Carriers

There can be nothing more exciting then to make unlimited long distance calls, for a single monthly rate and without changing the local phone service provider, if you are someone who makes a lot of long distance calls. It seems impossible, but it is possible in many parts of the world today. These long distance carriers make it possible for the user to make unlimited long distance calls by paying a single monthly fee. The customer can do so without having to worry about a per minute fee payment.

These unlimited long distance carriers make it possible for a person to call anywhere in the US or Canada, anytime. These also include interstate as well as intrastate calls. The distinctive feature about these long distance carriers is that, the users don't have to switch to any other phone company to use its services. There are no installation or cancellation fees and the service can be instantly activated. The account is maintained online and the customer has complete access to it. This ensures complete transparency. People do not need to have a special phone connection or extra equipment to log on to these unlimited long distance carriers. Once registered, the user can call anywhere in US and Canada, as well as other countries worldwide, depending on the specific service.

The charges of these unlimited call plans vary. They are different for unlimited long distance in the state, state to state and international plans. It is wise for the customer to check the in state and state to state rate while choosing an unlimited long distance plan. There is no limitation placed on the calls made, provided the person is not using it for telemarketing or to connect to a long distance dial-up for extended periods of time.

It takes a little research and discretion on the part of the customer to find the best unlimited long distance carriers, but it can be a very solid financial decision once the person finds the right one.

Save Money with Cheap Long Distance Plans

There are many different cheap long distance plans to choose from

in fact it can be a little overwhelming with all the choices you have for cheap long distance and unlimited long distance plans. Most cheap long distance plans offer an unlimited long distance plans that turns out to be cheaper compared to regular a plan that waivers in fees each month. We hope this article will help make choosing a new cheap long distance and unlimited long distance plan easier for you!



Tip One:

When changing phone plans most people are concerned with loosing their current phone number. Be sure to ask up front if you will be able to keep your existing phone number and if there will be a charge to do so.



Tip Two:

When you receive a quote for your new unlimited long distance plan, be sure to ask what your total monthly bill will come too. Along with the costs of your unlimited long distance you will have local, state and federal taxes added to your bill. Be sure to find out your exact total so you don’t get a surprise when the bill comes!



Tip Three:

If you are switching to a new unlimited long distance plan and the plan comes with local phone service as well, make sure it will be compatible with your high-speed DSL provider if you have DSL service for your Internet access.



Tip Four:

If you call Hawaii, Alaska, Canada or any other country on a regular basis be sure to find out if any of these calls will also be included within your unlimited long distance package. If calling these countries will not be included in your unlimited long distance find out if they have an additional add on for calling these countries. It may cost you more money then your unlimited long distance plan but if you call these countries regularly, it will still be a savings for you!



Tip Five:

When choosing your new unlimited long distance plan find out if wire maintenance is included in your plan or what the fees are in addition to your long distance plan.



Lastly,

when choosing your new plans make sure to ask what your monthly bill will be total with all taxes and fees included. Many times they quote you what your long distance plan will be without including all the fees, then your bill comes in the mail and you are shocked!

History

AT&T built an interconnected long-distance

telephone network, which reached from New York to Chicago in 1892, the technological limit for the wiring used. Users often did not use their own phone for such connections, but made an appointment to use a special long-distance telephone booth or "silence cabinet" equipped with 4-wire telephones and other advanced technology. The invention of loading coils extended the range to Denver in 1911, again reaching a technological limit. A major research venture and contest led to the development of the audion, which provided the means for telephone signals to reach from coast to coast, which was made possible in 1914, but not showcased until the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. At this time, long distance calling was performed via manual patching by a series of operators in the route of the call; connecting a coast-to-coast call in this way could take up to 23 minutes.

The first customer-connected long-distance

telephone call was made on November 11, 1951 when Mayor M. Leslie Downing of Englewood, New Jersey called Mayor Frank Osborne of Alameda, California using AT&T's Direct Distance Dialing feature. This was the first call dialed with an area code, using what would now be called 10-digit dialing, and was connected automatically within 18 seconds. In addition to area codes, this development also came with the introduction of a national 7-digit standard for local number length.
Until the early 1980s, a called party could instantly recognize an incoming Long Distance call by its hiss and/or low level, due to the inherent signal loss and introduction of noise common with all-analog long-distance telecommunications circuits of the era. The introduction of digital technology such as T-carrier circuits by AT&T starting in 1961 (and adopted by their long distance networks on a larger scale starting in the early-to-mid 1970s) let long distance calls approach the high voice quality of local calls.