Price

Price may be the main consideration that many businesses use to make the decision of long distance service. Price on many services has actually come down in the last few years, most likely because the central office locations are most all converted to digital at this point. This means that digital T1 services can now be ordered almost anywhere.

Many companies offer bundled services. This may include certain features and calling plans. When making long distance price comparisons be sure to take this into consideration so that you are comparing apples to apples. Whenever possible try to break things down into the simplest form such as price per minute, minutes of usage allowed and leasing costs. Be aware of any hidden costs that may be associated with services.

Often, making some changes to your long distance service will save you money. Look into the details of the costs to find out when you will see savings. Due to installation costs sometimes you won't see savings for several months or more, however, after that time your savings may be significant.

Service

When shopping for long distance look into the company before signing on the dotted line. Most plans require fulfillment of a specific contract period in order to receive the special offer. Check into the company to ensure that they have a good track record. Make sure they have been in business for a while and that they are a legitimate vendor of the services they offer.

Read the fine print to make sure that you are signing up for the service that you need. Understand how to resolve problems if they occur and what the standard resolution time will be. Make sure that the company has a good customer service commitment and that they have an easy way to contact them.

Functionality

While price may be an important consideration it should not be the only one. Consider your own customer service when choosing a long distance plan. Your company's reputation depends in part on the telephone service that customers receive. If you cut corners you may be jeopardizing how you look to others.

Always look into the next level up when it comes to long distance. Often there is little price increase for what may be many additional features or capabilities. For instance, voice T1 lines are quickly becoming business standard. These allow high-speed digital connection over 24 shared channels.

Each T1 can accommodate up to 100 users and can be used for incoming as well as outgoing traffic. T1s transmit at a speed of 1.544 Mbps, a speed faster than most standard modems. A T1 can also be used to data when apportioned for it. This affords even smaller businesses the affordable use of a T1.

When choosing commercial long distance service don't forget to think of the big picture. Allow your company room to grow by ensuring that you have at least 10% more availability as spare. If your business is seasonal take the peak months into consideration so that your services are sized properly.

In order to determine the proper long distance service or plan you may need to look at several detailed bills. Pay particular attention to when the most calls were made, where they were made to and the amount of monthly calls. To be more precise you may want to get a traffic study, which will show this information in detail. A traffic study is only part of the picture, however. Be sure to take into account your own knowledge of the business and its peaks and valleys as you decide on services.