TechBite Technology
Steve Bass's Weekly Newsletter
November 5, 2008
TechBite's columnist Steve Bass writes weekly commentary on the technology products he loves, the strategies for getting the most out of them, and the gotchas that can cause computing misery.
Cheap Landline Long Distance Plans
Don't pay too much for long-distance calls on your landline; plus, your newsletter feedback and, of course, time wasters.
Last year, I was about to disconnect my regular landline phone and just use my cell phone. Every month I'd look at AT&T's ungodly monthly long-distance service fees -- in addition to the endless city, county, state, and federal taxes -- and feel ripped off.
But unlike practically everyone under 30, I wasn't willing to give up my phone line. Call me old fashioned, but I need the security of a phone that works even when cellular towers are out of service (say, after an earthquake, or during a hurricane). I even feel insecure with Voice over IP (VoIP) services like Vonage. (Nonetheless, in a future newsletter, I'll give you my take on MagicJack and Toktumi--talk-to-me, get it?--two low-cost VoIP services.)
So I did the research and switched my long-distance service to ECG, a cheap landline long-distance service. (Canadians: Stop reading; the service is for U.S.-based customers only. But if you're living overseas, I found LycaMobile a nifty service for those in the UK,
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