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AT&T, MCI, and SPRINT are RIPPING YOU OFF.
Why ? Voice traffic is only a small portion of all data transmitted over telecom systems, but it is by far the most profitable part of their business. The big three are losing money on their broadband services because there is no established revenue model yet.
Think of it this way. You can live in Los Angeles and establish a 24/7 DSL connection with your buddy in New York for $49 a month. However, if you were chat with your pal using a long distance connection, for the same amount of time, it would cost you over $2000 ! Most people are willing to pay 10 cents per minute or more for long distance anyway and do not notice. The Big Three know this, and stick it to you for long distance to fund their broadband services.
By the way, did you notice that the "Universal Service Fee" went from 7 percent to 10 percent on your January 2002 phone bill ? The government didn't ask long distance carriers to raise the fee, they just took it upon themselves to do it to you.
Check here to see how much you can save by liberating yourself from "big three" long distance charges.
There are alternatives to Big Three long distance without using an annoying "dial around" plan, where you have to dial 10-10-something or an 800 number before every call.
Here's a spreadsheet that
shows your monthly savings comparing big three rate plans vs. other carriers. Just enter the number of minutes you use monthly and it will calculate the savings for you. Once you've seen the difference , you can click here to switch your long distance to
BigRedWire e. Listed is a copy of their current rates. I'm pretty happy with their service so far - low prices and no phone calls at home during dinner, no junk mail, and no SPAM.
If you are really hard core, consider what a friend of mine has done. He does not even use a phone line, just his cell phone. It already has everything he needs- long distance, caller ID, and voicemail. A viable option to those who do not need a dedicated phone line for internet service, etc.
MCI called me again last night and asked me to switch. I told them to go take a flying leap !
Here are the reference links I used for this cost analysis. Info updated March, 2002:
Sprint Nickel Anytime Program
Sprint Nickel Anytime Program Fine Print
MCI Anytime Advantage Program
MCI Anytime 200 Program
MCI Fine Print for MCI Programs (if you can figure these out please let me know)
AT&T One Rate 7 Cent Plan
AT&T One Rate 7 Cent Plan Fine Print
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