Long distance telephone calls are those that are placed to a location
beyond the caller's local service area. Such calls are also called
trunk calls or toll calls.
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.
This global provider of long distance service delivers
innovative communication solutions to retail customers and cable operators worldwide. www.Net2Phone.com
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
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
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
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
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/
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