Various technological advances have changed the way we make long distance calls. From traditional landlines to cell phones, computers, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) devices, technology has affected the way everyone communicates. This has given rise to long distance phone services that are not only different in terms of reception quality, but also in the cost of making long distance calls. Today, you even have the option of making long distance phone calls virtually free of charge, but of comparatively inferior quality to traditional long distance services using regular landlines. However, the savings are worth the decrease in quality for many people.
Long distance telephone services can be broadly classified into four groups. These include landline-to-landline and cell phone service, cell-to-cell and landline service, calls made from a personal computer or VOIP device to a landline or cell phone service, and PC-to-PC voice communication services.
The main traditional providers of long distance services (where calls originate from landlines) in the US are Sprint, AT&T and MCI Worldcom. Traditional long distance phone calls remain the most expensive option, despite fierce competition among these providers.
Calls made using a computer or VOIP device to a landline or cell phone service use Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to enable long-distance voice communication. They use the Internet to transmit voice and provide a cheaper alternative to landline and cell phone based long distance services. However, the reception quality is not that good and sometimes there is a delay in voice transmission. Major providers in this category of long distance services include DeltaThree, Dialpad, MediaRing, Net Caller and Skype.
PC to PC voice communication also uses VOIP and is usually free. This service is available through instant messaging applications provided by MSN, Yahoo, AOL and Google. This is not the highest quality and does not use a phone like VOIP phone service does. To communicate via voice chat through instant messaging programs, both users will need a headset and microphone.
