Is there a difference between long distance companies?
First of all, long distance companies can be broken down into two types – carriers and resellers. A long distance carrier owns the lines and circuits and performs customer service and billing under its own name. AT&T, MCI, Global Crossing, Qwest and Sprint are examples for carriers. A long distance reseller purchases long distance minutes in bulk at a deep discount from a carrier but performs customer service and billing under its own name. Since resellers purchase minutes at deep discounts, they can offer lower rates to their customers. Examples of resellers are Accxx, Opex, Power Net Global and UniTel. Since a reseller uses the exact same infrastructure as the carrier from which it purchased the bulk minutes, it stands to reason that the call quality and reliability are also the same. To determine which discount resellers offer service in your area and to compare rates and features, please use our Estimated Cost Calculator.
