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Long Distance Service Options and Pricing

Ideally, the only thing more pleasant than the price of your mobile office would be the pleasant work environment it creates for your employees.  If everything is done right the temperature should be perfect, the smell fresh and the workspace convenient.   

As your business grows and long distance usage increases, however, a dedicated connection (T1, DS1, T3, DS3) may prove more fiscally efficient. Dedicated long distance service entails connecting directly to your long distance company’s network without using the local telephone company’s switches. That means you never have to dial “1.” Per-minute rates for dedicated service can be 50% or more less than switched rates, but the savings are sometimes offset somewhat by the cost of the “loop” – your equipment and connection to the long distance company’s network.

Toll free numbers (typically 800 numbers) allow customers to call you with no long distance charge to them. If you do any business outside your local area, your customers will often expect you to have a toll free number. This service is pretty easy to set up: The incoming toll free calls will be “pointed” toward one of your existing phone numbers. As your business becomes larger and more complex, you may be able to use some of the many features available with toll free service, including time-of-day and day-of-week routing, Web-based routing control, access codes, multiple toll free numbers, and various tracking reports.

THIS WEBPAGE HAS BEEN EDITED. Intrastate rates vary by carrier and service area and range from around $0.039 per minute to $0.25 per minute. Interstate rates are generally lower than intra state rates because they do not require the use of local telephone company facilities. They range from around $0.035 per minute to $0.10 per minute or more. International rates have a very wide variance with near interstate prices to first world countries and $1.00 per minute or more to some developing nations.

Several additional factors affect long distance pricing. Some pricing plans have monthly recurring charges (MRCs), minimums, or minimums with penalties. A minimum means you will always pay at least the minimum price regardless of how much service you use. A minimum with a penalty means if you fail to use the minimum amount of service, you will be assessed the penalty which can range from $2.00 to $20.00 or more.

Billing increments also have a significant impact upon actual rates and consist of two components: initial increment and follow-on increment. A typical billing increment is 18 initial seconds and a six-second, follow-on increment. This means if a rate is $0.10 per minute, a call will cost at least three cents and after the initial increment, the call will be billed in six-second increments costing a penny.

As always, 360Telecommunications can help you find the best rate available in your area by showing you up to four free price quotes on long distance service

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