By Rick
Calling long distance used to be a very expensive thing to do, which prevented many people from staying in touch with loved ones in other countries. Even calls within the country could be incredibly expensive if the person lived a few states away from you. Over the years, these long distance costs have plummeted due to the introduction of new technologies that take advantage of the internet. To provide essentially free long distance These new systems allow you to make these same long distance phone calls for a fraction of what they would have cost you only a few years ago. In some cases you can even make free long distance calls if you have the right equipment at home.
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Why is the cost so high?
When phone systems were first installed, every home was connected together through a series of wires that ran into a central station. The cost of installing the system was tremendously expensive for the phone company and they charged a higher fee for the longer distance your call had to travel, since it involved more wire and a larger number of switching stations to make this connection. The idea of free long distance was as foreign as space travel in these early days. Overseas calls were particularly expensive because of the cost of making this physical connection through wires laid at the ocean floor. Even though these same systems have been in place for decades, upgrades to the equipment continue to add a cost for the traditional calls and made free long distance virtually impossible.
Internet to the rescue
The advent of the internet has truly touched every aspect of our lives and free long distance calling is only one of its many benefits. The internet is basically a new connection that everyone with access can use to do all sorts of things with each other. Initially it was used for email and chat conversations that replaced a phone call and has recently matured into a more interactive way to contact friends. As the speed of connection improved on the internet for most homes, things like phone calls and video chat became possible through a technology called VOIP. This innovative product (Voice Over Internet Protocol) now allows anyone to have the same expensive long distance conversation they made years ago, for free today. The internet has essentially provided free long distance for anyone that has a connection.
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What You’ll Need to Get Started
There are a few ways for you to take advantage of free long distance calls and each of them has their advantages. The simplest would be to use a service like Google or Skype to make these calls on your computer when connected to the internet. You’ll need to have a microphone and speaker on your computer to make the call but they are an inexpensive option to add for getting this amazing benefit. Some companies even sell an attachment for your computer that looks like a phone handset you can use to make these calls more comfortably.
Another option that offers more features would be a service that replaces your current phone service with an internet version. There are a wide range of vendors that offer this capability including your cable company. With this option you would use the same phones you already have installed in your home but your monthly cost would be much less than your current bill. Most of these plans include free long distance as part of your monthly bill and make calling the ones you love easier.
Click here to review offers for free long distance and international calls. Free comparison tools.
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