Find the best money-saving phone pl...

Find the best money-saving phone plan for you.

Today, choosing a phone service is harder than perpetually Dozens of telecommunication companies are competing to win your business. The days of lining up for the dorm pay phone upon Sunday night to call hearth collect have pretty much disappeared as phone companies proffer low rates and extend attractive bonuses in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as frequent flyer miles, delivered calls, and even cold hard cash to memorize you to sign up with them for their extended distance services. If you're going to guild your school may make the choice easy through providing its own inexpensive phone service. The solution is knowing your options and finding what suits you best.

GETTING A DIAL TONE

The first stair in establishing your own telephone service is to sign up with a local service provider. You'll probably have a choice between brace or more companies, or your corporation may specify which one it uses. Find without what services each company proffers (e.g., call waiting, caller ID) and at what prices. Check the expenses for required advance payments (which can splendor $50 to $60), installation rewards (which can range from $35 to $50) and additional jacks ($75 to more than $200)

one time your service starts, you'll pay a monthly service charge--$10 to $20--that will vary according to where you live and which special features you order. In addition to the monthly give a fee to you may have to pay for a certain number of calls and for services so as 911.

in extent DISTANCE RUN-AROUND

When you sign up for local service, you'll be asked which drawn out distance carrier you want to use. greatest in quantity of us are familiar with the big names in lengthy distance--AT&T, Sprint, and MCI-- yet lots of other long distance companies service different parts of the U (Note: forward October 5, 1999, MCI WorldCom and Sprint announced their agreement to bury At press time, they were still awaiting the necessary approvals.) Check the gold-colored pages to find out which companies provide lengthy distance coverage in your area.

Be strong to ask about calling plans. "Some the community don't realize that they may nor be forward a calling plan, and they may be paying higher rates than they have to," says Catherine Goodson a spokesperson for Sprint.

To determine which plan is right for you, analyze your calling patterns:

* Do you make greatest in quantity of your long distance calls during the day or at night?

* Do you call forward weekdays or on weekends?

* Are greatest in number of your calls to in-state out-of-state numbers?

* Do you call mainly from home or away from home?

Telling the sales representative the answers to these questions can help you acquire the plan that serves you best. Then carefully compare services that companies put forward (See the chart on the nearest page.)

THE community CONNECTION

Choosing a in extent distance service may nor be an issue if you attend a educate that is contracted with a extended distance carrier to handle lengthy distance services in the dorms. For example, at Radford University, in Virginia, scholars who sign up for the school's service pay between 11 and 25 cent by minute for long distance calls. Rates vary according to time of call. scholars are assigned a personal identification number (PIN) to make secure accurate billing.

"Basically, it saves coin for the parents by nor having to pay installation charges or monthly charges," says Gail Stephens, telephone services manager at Radford. "Student no other than pay for long distance calls."

The benefits of utilizing a school's protracted distance service include on-campus billing and customer service, says Jeri Semer executive director of ACUTA, the Association for college edifice [i]or[/i] building and University Telecommunications Administrators. "School have larger buying power than an individual, in like manner they're often able to negotiate better prolonged distance rates."

CALLING CARDS

Jamie Jerauld, a freshman at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, signed up for her school's in extent distance service, but she raises to make calls with the prepaid calling card she bought at a store.

"I like using the calling card because it continues me aware," Jerauld says. "I'm a hazard more conscious of how many minutes I use."

Prepaid calling cards are sold in numbers of minutes (eg 30 60 or 120) Rates generally range from 10 to 33 cent by minute. As you talk in succession the phone, you gradually use up all the minutes. When your minutes are up you can either "recharge" your elderly card or buy a just discovered one. Prepaid cards are sold at discount department stores, electronics stores, and other retail vents as well as on the Internet.

To recharge your card, call the customer service phone number listed upon the back of the card. The additional minutes will be charged to your credit card.

Non-prepaid calling cards are like credit cards for phone calls and are available directly from the telephone company. With calling cards, you talk for as lengthy and as often as you like and are billed each month

With either adumbration of card, make sure you understand the boundarys For example, will you have to pay a monthly service charge? Does the company charge a connection remuneration (an extra fee over and above the per-minute rate.)