General Long Distance Questions
How many long distance companies are there in the U.S.?
How many long distance companies are on the SmartPrice.com site?
What is the difference between the carriers?
Is there a difference in call quality between the carriers?
Do you have the rates for AT&T, Sprint and MCI on the site?
How many long distance companies are there in the U.S.?
There are over 1200 companies providing long distance service in the U.S. Although
AT&T, Sprint and MCI/WorldCom are the most well-known long distance carriers,
there are many other high quality choices available for your long distance that can
save you money on long distance rates.
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How many long distance companies are on the SmartPrice.com site?
We have over a dozen long distance companies on the SmartPrice.com site; however,
this number varies from week to week. Whenever we find a reputable company that
offers competitive rates for our customers, we put them on the site. We can also
make the decision to take a carrier off of the site if we feel they are not
offering the best service at the best prices.
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What is the difference between the carriers?
There's not a whole lot of difference between the carriers. Certainly there's no
real difference in call quality (see the next answer for more information about
call quality). However, different companies have different processes in place to
run their businesses. While the quality of the actual phone service is no different
from carrier to carrier, their billing processes, customer service and business
practices can be quite different.
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Is there a difference in call quality between the carriers?
Yes and no. Ever since the telecommunications industry was deregulated and
AT&T was broken up into "Baby Bells" in the 1980's, long distance has been a
commodity. All long distance companies, including AT&T, Sprint and MCI
WorldCom, use the same fiber optic networks to transport their calls. While some
long distance companies claim that their service is of higher quality, there is
actually very little difference between the carriers.
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Do you have the rates for AT&T, Sprint and MCI on
the site?
Yes. The SmartPrice.com™ database includes rate information about the "big
three." These three long distance companies are the largest in the U.S.
Interestingly, although they are the most well-known long distance companies in the
U.S., their prices are usually not the lowest. However, by including them in our
pricing database we increase the number of companies and plans to choose from, and
give you more options for your long distance services.
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