University of Texas at Austin

International Office

UT Family and Community Programs

Telephones

Choosing Local and Long Distance Telephone Service

Local Telephone Service Connection AT&T is the most common provider but there are also other companies. You can find them in the front of the AT&Twhite pages.

Most of them offer services such as caller ID, voice mail and call forwarding. If you are not sure which to choose, you can order just the basic service and change it later when you have a better understanding of your needs. It is a good idea to ask the services to send you information by mail about their different services.

You don't have to use the same service for long distance. You can shop around and find a better deal. U.S. phone companies do not provide the telephone. You have to buy it yourself from a store. If you think you might want caller ID or a built-in answering machine, these are factors you should consider when buying the phone. You can get a simple phone for as little as $10 at one of the discount stores, such as Wal-Mart or Best Buy.

You will be charged for the installation of your phone. This fee is usually payable with your first month's bill.
 

Long Distance Services

Many companies offer long distance service in the United States. Shop around to find the company that best suits your needs. They all have different plans to choose from.

Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Phone Service:

1.  Do you offer local service?
2.  Do you offer long distance service? Is there a single rate or does it increase according to distance from my phone and/or time of day?
3.  Do you offer international service?

Questions to help you make distinctions between services and rates with different provider:

The Basics

1.  What is the basic rate and what service is included?
2.  What taxes, fees, and surcharges are added to the monthly basic service charge?
3.  Is there a minimum/maximum amount of calling/spending I must do each month?
4.  Can I have a detailed billing showing the numbers I called on a particular date, how long I talked, and the charge for the call?
5.  What methods of payment can I use? Do you accept payment over the phone?
6.  What are the one-time connection charge and the disconnection charge?

Calling Cards

1.  Do you offer a calling card?
2.  What are the rates and corresponding time periods for the calling card? (Note: Calls made using a calling card usually incur an additional surcharge, or are charged at a higher rate than calls made from your home phone service.)
3.  Is the calling card international, so I can use my calling card from my home country or elsewhere in the world?

Calling cards are sold at a kiosk on the sidewalk on Guadalupe Street, down near the University Co-op. It is usually there every day when classes are in session. The man in the booth will help you find the cheapest phone card available for the countries you wish to call.

There is also a useful web site, www.iPrepaidphonecards.com, that compares various phone cards. You can order a calling card number from them online, using a credit card.

Useful Numbers

Federal Communications Commission
This website has consumer protection information concerning telephone service.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Consumer Information Bureau
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
Toll free: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)
Toll free: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)
http://www.fcc.gov
Public Inquiries, informal complaints, telephone and wireless