Long Distance Phone Service : Ratings of Sources

Our AssessmentRate-comparison site SaveOnPhone.com's editors research long-distance plans in order to offer ratings of the best plans. At our last check, the rate-comparison chart featured nearly 30 plans. The top five include ECG, Pioneer, 3U, Telna and Covista. Telna is recommended for international callers, and it gives you a special access number so you can get low international rates from your cell phone.

Our AssessmentTelcompare.com is similar to SaveOnPhone.com. However, while there are details about rates and fees for most companies, the ratings appear to be in no particular order. Some plans get a detailed review, while only basic information is given for others.

Our AssessmentYet another rate-comparison site, this one allows you to compare more than 200 different plans including interstate, in-state, international and calling cards. There's also a calculator for researching in-state versus state-to-state call rates. We would have thought that all these sites would have similar charts, but often they don't really correspond. While most of these sites have similar entries, the order varies a lot. Several CogniState (now out of business), PNG and Covista plans occupy top spots here, along with Unitel and AmeriCom's Simplicity. ECG is not included in this chart. Also included, for comparison sake, are mainstream plans from Verizon and AT&T. The site also offers to analyze your phone bill free of charge.

Our AssessmentPhone professional Andy Gray maintains this website dedicated to cheap phone services, including long distance, VoIP and toll-free number providers. Comparison charts are provided. Pioneer and Telna get an Editor's Choice designation for long distance, with Opex and AmeriCom also getting solid ratings.

Our AssessmentEditors of MyRatePlan.com suggest that if you are paying more than 4 cents per minute for long distance, you should do a little investigating. Rates can be calculated by entering the state, monthly usage in minutes and percentage of calls made in state. Pioneer and ECG were the best plans for several states. The site also includes discussions of long-distance options, the pros and cons of going wireless, etc.

Our AssessmentTheDigest.com is a good source for telephone industry news and views. It also provides this chart of long-distance services that provides information on per-minute charges, minimum charges, fees, billing increments and billing methods. To get recommendations, the site requires you to enter your home state and the country you dial most often. Users can provide their own ratings, but most companies have not received much feedback.

Our AssessmentThis article doesn't rate phone companies in any way. Instead, it offers general advice about cutting costs, including bundling local and long-distance service, switching to a smaller carrier, using phone cards for long-distance calls and switching to VoIP. The pros and cons of various options are considered. This article can be viewed without a subscription.