Long Distance Carriers

The first long distance phone company in the USA, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, was formed in 1885 as a subsidiary of the American Bell Telephone Company.  AT&T's charter was to build and operate the long distance telephone network for its parent company; it completed its first long distance line, between New York and Philadelphia, within a year.  The line could handle only one telephone call at a time!  From these humble beginnings, AT&T went on to develop a sophisticated long distance telephone network that enabled telephone users throughout the USA to efficiently communicate with each other and with people in foreign countries.

During the 1920s and 1930s, heavy duty open-wire carrier lines were widely installed to handle long distance communications.  These lines used Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) to carry multiple phone calls over a pair of copper wires simultaneously.  After World War II, microwave radio transmission towers sprung up across the USA (and around the world) to handle increased long distance call volumes.  However, these radio transmissions required direct lines of sight between adjacent towers, and were subject to interference from rain.  For a time, during the late 1960s and 1970s, communications satellites were enthusiastically touted for long distance telephone communications, but 1/2 second transmission delays (due to high geostationary satellite orbits) led researchers to look for more efficient long distance transmission alternatives.  Fiber optics technology, developed during the 1970s and widely adopted during the 1980s, has proven to be a high quality, high bandwidth medium that is well suited to transmitting long distance telephone calls.

Until 1984, the United States public telephone network, including long distance service, was largely run by AT&T and the Bell System.  But after the AT&T divestiture, announced in early 1982, competition in the long distance phone service market increased dramatically.  Several long distance carriers, including MCI and Sprint, began to draw many customers away from AT&T.  Furthermore, since the 1990s, the development of wireless cellular phone networks, as well as satellite phone services for remote areas, have provided additional long distance calling options for businesses and consumers alike.

In recent years, as high speed Internet service has become more pervasive, Voice over IP (VoIP) long distance service has become popular.  A VoIP phone service subscriber uses high speed Internet access lines for outgoing and incoming calls.  VoIP service often features unlimited long distance calling anywhere in the United States and Canada, for a fixed monthly fee.  Vonage and some cable Internet service providers offer VoIP long distance plans.

LongDistanceCarriers.us features a directory of residential and business long distance service providers as well as long distance consumer information from the United States Federal Communications Commission.

Residential Long Distance Service

• Net2Phone
  
  This global provider of long distance service delivers innovative communication solutions to retail customers and cable operators worldwide.
  www.Net2Phone.com
• Vonage
  
  Broadband phone company.  Using an existing high-speed Internet connection, Vonage "Voice over IP" technology enables anyone to make and receive phone calls – worldwide – with a touch-tone phone.  Offering quality phone service bundled with enhanced IP communications services, Vonage offers advanced features only available through digital telephone service.  Take a look at this innovative, feature-rich and cost effective alternative to traditional telephony services.
  www.Vonage.com
• Verizon Long Distance
  
  Offers long distance plans and services for home and business that fit your calling needs and budget.  Long distance product offerings can vary by state, area code, and telephone exchange.
  www.VerizonLD.com

Business Long Distance Service

• AT&T
  
  Clear connections, first class service, and great rates — whether you're calling across the state or across the globe.
  www.ATT.com
• Sprint Voice Services
  
  Sprint Voice Services feature the flexibility and clarity of fiber-enabled telecommunications.  Outbound long distance, on-demand conferencing, Toll-free and call center services are among Sprint's offerings.
  www.Sprint.com
• Verizon Business
  
  Offers integrated communication solutions for large businesses as well as government and wholesale markets.  Verizon features an expansive IP network and has extensive experience in providing reliable and high-speed IP services for large networks.
  www.VerizonBusiness.com

Long Distance Consumer Information

• Local, Local Toll, and Long Distance Calling
  
  Consumer advice about local and long distance phone service from the Federal Communications Commission.
  www.FCC.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/local_long.html
• Sample Wireline Phone Bill
  
  Explanation of charges on a sample telephone bill.  If you believe your long distance company is charging you too much — in flat fees, monthly minimum charges, or per-minute charges, there are several options that may lower your bill.  Consumer facts from the FCC.
  www.FCC.gov/cgb/phonebills/samplePhonebill.html

Related Telecommunications Sites

• Area Code Directory - North American telephone area codes.
• Satellite Phones - satellite phone technologies and solutions.
• Wireless Plans - wireless phone service providers.

Long Distance Carriers Guide and Directory