Society and telecommunication

Telecommunication is an important part of modern society. In 2006, estimates placed the telecommunication industry's revenue at $1.2 trillion or just under 3% of the gross world product (official exchange rate).

On the microeconomic scale, companies have used telecommunication to help build global empires. This is self-evident in the case of online retailer Amazon.com but, according to academic Edward Lenert, even the conventional retailer Wal-Mart has benefited from better telecommunication infrastructure compared to its competitors.[10] In cities throughout the world, home owners use their telephones to organize many home services ranging from pizza deliveries to electricians. Even relatively poor communities have been noted to use telecommunication to their advantage. In Bangladesh's Narshingdi district, isolated villagers use cell phones to speak directly to wholesalers and arrange a better price for their goods. In Cote d'Ivoire, coffee growers share mobile phones to follow hourly variations in coffee prices and sell at the best price.

On the macroeconomic scale, Lars-Hendrik Röller and Leonard Waverman suggested a causal link between good telecommunication infrastructure and economic growth. Few dispute the existence of a correlation although some argue it is wrong to view the relationship as causal.
Due to the economic benefits of good telecommunication infrastructure, there is increasing worry about the digital divide. This is because the world's population does not have equal access to telecommunication systems. A 2003 survey by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) revealed that roughly one-third of countries have less than 1 mobile subscription for every 20 people and one-third of countries have less than 1 fixed line subscription for every 20 people. In terms of Internet access, roughly half of all countries have less than 1 in 20 people with Internet access. From this information, as well as educational data, the ITU was able to compile an index that measures the overall ability of citizens to access and use information and communication technologies. Using this measure, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland received the highest ranking while the African countries Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali received the lowest.

How to Choose a Plan

Where do I start?
Look over your phone bills to see what long distance rates you're paying and how long typical calls last. Are you paying a fee each month to get those rates? How many total minutes per month to frequent call destinations? Compare your calling patterns to the terms offered by several phone plans.

If you make toll calls inside your state, always check the rate for instate calls. Some plans advertise a low interstate or "state-to-state" rate, but charge more for instate calls.

Are 10-10 long distance rates better than regular long distance rates?They definitely can be the best deal. For example, can you get regular long distance rates under 5 cents per minute for both interstate and instate? How about international rates as low as 4 cents per minute? However, check the details covered in the next two questions to make sure which type of 1010 code is the best deal for YOUR NEEDS:

What about long distance like 1010220 that bills a minimum charge per call?Be careful when calling a number that's likely to have an answering machine pick up, or when the person you're calling may not be there, but someone else will answer the phone. We recommend using a phone plan that has a low, one minute minimum rate. Once you've contacted a real person, you can always call back using the plan with a cheaper 10 minute minimum. If you are calling a country whose phone system has frequent disconnects, it may be best to avoid using a plan that bills more than a one minute minimum. Also be careful with plans like 1010228, 1010297, 1010345, 1010457, 1010719 and 1010987, which have per-call connect fees (from 39� to as much as 99� or more per call).

Millions of people got stuck with a 99-cent bill for a call that lasted one-minute or less with 1010220! However, one 1010 code charges as little as a 3� minimum per call (Based on 5.5� a minute with only a 30-second minimum billing per call). See the State-to-State rates page to compare U.S. rates or the International Rates pages for calls abroad.If a phone plan has a lower rate per minute and a monthly fee, how do I compare it to plans without a service fee?This advice applies to any type of phone plan:

If you primarily call one state or one country, look at how much you save per minute with the lower rate. Multiply the savings by the number of minutes you expect to call each month. For example, if the difference is 5� per minute and you call three hours per month: 180 minutes x 5� = $9 difference. With a monthly fee of $4, you still come out ahead by $5 ( $9 minus $4 equals $5 savings).

If you frequently call a number of places with different rates, figure out the savings for each type of call separately. Then add all the savings together and compare to the monthly fee.Depending on the company, unless you start near the beginning of the month you could get billed a full fee for a partial month.

If that's a concern, ask them if they bill on a calendar month or a cycle from the day you start. Then ask if they prorate fees for partial months. When not prorated, you would be billed a full fee that month.

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