Long Distance Providers by Dista Trifade http://www.longdistancebargains.com There are many companies that offer long distance phone services. Before you sign up for one of them you need to understand the basics of long distance phone calls and decide which one would best suit your purpose. When you sign up for long distance service, you need to change or switch your long distance provider. It usually takes several days before you have the service active on your line. Once you have the service established, you will be dialing directly from your phone. Switched long distance service only works for the lines on which it was activated and it doesn't work from cell phones. Prepaid calling cards provide you with instant long distance. Calling cards work with any touch tone phone and an access number and authorization code (PIN) needs to be dialed before each long distance call. The most reliable long distance service is the switched service which is generally the service on your home or business phone. This service uses a different technology for establishing a connection to your destination number but the service is usually a little higher than those of calling cards. Many online companies use Third Party Verification (TPV) as an electronic signature when signing up to switch your long distance provider online. This will automatically record your permission to switch the service. It normally takes 3-4 business days to activate your new service depending on your local phone company. Many companies will issue a 700 test number for you to dial to check that your services have been activated. After your line is activated, you can start dialing your long distance calls directly. Your local phone service will not change. However, you will start to receive a separate bill for your new long distance service provider. A toll free number is normally recommended for businesses. The person who dials the toll free numbers does not pay for the cost of the call. The cost for the call is charged to the party that receives the call. These are usually used by businesses to allow their customers to reach them at no charge. Long distance phone services vary from company to company. With the basic knowledge of how and what these companies offer can help you make the choice for the provider that best suites your needs. Submit An Article