What are some of the services local telephone companies are required to provide?
Incumbent or traditional local telephone companies are required to provide basic local telephone service to both residential and business customers; unlimited local calls within a local calling area; and access to emergency services, long distance companies, directory assistance, operator services, telecommunications relay services and an alphabetical directory listing. Competitive local telephone companies may offer different services. Do rates and service in local telephone service areas vary between local phone companies? Yes. In addition, your local calling area may vary between companies. This means that calls that were previously part of your local area and included as part of your monthly flat rate charge may be long distance, or calls that were at one time long distance may be considered local when using a different local provider. Be sure that you ask any telephone company that you choose not only about its rates, but also its calling area. How can I save money on my local ser
