Long distance phone carrier

[Hairtrigger]

I have been with excel for several years. I have had a few issues but nothing major. I have been unable to make a long distance call from my home phone for a month. Excel does not seem to be able to find their problem. My local phone company(small town) insists it is excel's problem and I have an office just around the corner with the same service with no problems.

It's time to switch... any recommendations for long distance and international calls?

[JerryKo]

I do not make international calls, but sometimes long distance.  I have Verizon as my carrier, but I may be bias'd in that I am a tech for them.  I did not know the rates for your area or availability, but try  www.verizon.com for info.

Can you make calls to other cities very close to you, that can be local long distance? If so it sounds very much like it would be Excel's problem.  But if you cannot call out of your exchange, it sounds more localized.  Keep in mind most "small" or low rate long distance companies use our networks to carry the calls.  The FCC requires us to sell to them at lower rates than it costs us to operate them.  The problem is getting the smaller companies to "find " the problem.  This requires them to make several calls and go thru extra "testers" to isolate the trouble.  This is not the case with larger companies in that you call the carrier directly since you are our customer.

To make a long story short, it eliminates the middle "men" when it comes to repair.

Good luck, that is all the help I can offer without getting myself into any problems.

If in any way I violated any GBO rules please delete and let me know.

Jerry

[Graybeard]

I've been with Q-West for several years now. Cost a nickle a minute for long distance. I've never made an international call and doubt I ever will so have no clue on that.

Matt made noises about us setting up a phone company on one of our servers but has never done anything about it. I'm pretty sure we put the software on it to do that before we shipped it but just never made it happen. IT would be like Vonage if/when it ever happens.

[gypsyman]

Not sure where I heard it, maybe somebody could smarten me up on this. Year or 2 ago, maybe read it somewhere, some of the phone company's paid a tax on long distance calls, and the money went to the U.N. Can't remember if it was cell phone company's, pre-paid calling cards, or what. Anybody remember anything like this?? Thanks in advance!  gypsyman

[Matt]

Well I use my MagicJack if not my cell to make all calls.
dang cell phone is $99.00 a month but that is for unlimited everything Nextel offers.

MagicJack is a great phone service if you have highspeed cable or dsl

I have had it now for around 6 months and have NO problems or complaints. Best of all I can call anywhere in the US and Canada and all it costs me is $20.00 a year and yes I mean a year... quickdtoo also has one and I talk to him on his regularly and it is clear as a bell...

check out www.magicjack.com it makes a great second line to make all your LD calls on and never have to worry about how long you been on the phone... and no I get no money from them...lol

Matt