LONG DISTANCE SERVICES
AT&T has one of the most robust Long Distance Networks in the world.
In fact, you can probably offer your international customers more toll free service than any other carrier in the world.
AT&T Southeast (former BellSouth territory) offers many toll plans with local service, which are designed to fit the small to mid size customer's needs.
Some of the most popular plans for mid size business that make a lot of LD calls are the Unlimited Plans for both Intra and InterLATA calling.
IntraLATA calls are the local LD calls traditionally carried by your LEC (Local Exchange Carrier). You can see what area the LATA covers in the front of your phone book. Calls made or received from outside the LATA are called InterLATA calls.
AT&T National services group offers long distance plans to fit the largest, global customer's needs.
AT&T OFFERS MANY DELIVERY OPTIONS
Two Flavors - Most customers PIC their lines to a Long Distance carrier so that when they dial 1+ the number their Central Office sends that call to the carrier of their choice. This is called Switched Access. The Local Exchange Carrier charges the LD company to switch the call on their network.
One can select an LD company (including the LEC) to handle IntraLATA calls using the LPIC selection process for the line. For InterLATA inbound or outbound switched usage the customer must select using a PIC code.
There is no special PIC code for International calls. Whoever you PIC to for your InterLATA calling is the same company that will handle your International calls. If you make ANY international calls at all, you need to have a plan designated with your LD carrier to avoid what is called "casual billing" where the rates are dollars per minute not pennies.
Dedicated Access - large business customers that use a lot of long distance service, either inbound (800) or outbound, are able to save money by having a dedicated access T-1 or DS-3 from their premise to the LD carrier's POP (Point of Presence) so they can connect directly to their carrier's network avoiding the "origination" fee from the LEC. When the call is terminated to the customer after traveling across the LD carrier's network and must be delivered to the customer at the other end on the LEC or CLEC's network, that fee is called the "termination" charge.
If you are spending $2,000 to $2,500 or more a month on your long distance Intra and InterLATA services, please contact us to see if you can benefit from having dedicate LD access, or if you qualify for an unlimited plan.
Also, see more about these services under FCC ACCESS.
Call us toll free for the most current promotional plans 866-212-2355.
