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Trying to decide on a local phone service provider check out Sage Telecom

Today it is a lot more complicated then it used to be.  With so many options and so many companies how do you know which ones to are right for you?  The answer is really pretty simple you want the service that gives you the features you need at the quality you are willing to accept for the lowest total cost possible.  The trick isn't figuring out what you need it is figuring out which provider and service type best meets that need.  To get a better grip on this subject let's start off with examining the three primary types of service that can be used to serve this need.

Many people tend to think of a land line today as an old technology and of course it is pretty old working the same way it did nearly 100 years ago.  Yet there is a lot to be said for a technology that has been a reliable means of communications for close to a century now.  

Factoid:  You may ask if phone service is really over one hundred years old, it most certainly is in fact the government just ended a tax on phone service that was originally put in place to finance the Spanish American War, which started in 1898.

I don't need to tell you much about regular old phone service from a technical stand point as everyone knows how to pick up the phone and make a call.  The important thing to understand is who is best served by using plain old phone service as their primary means of communication in their home.

1. You DON'T use DSL, don't want it or can't get it and you DON'T have high speed internet via your cable TV provider.  If that describes you then you are best served by finding a Competitive Local Carrier and not doing business with one of the Giants for your needs.  Smaller companies like Sage Telecom provide better service, more features and more options for less money.
   
2. You DO want high speed internet, affordable Cable internet is NOT available and you must rely on DSL.  In this case it is sad to say to get the best price you are pretty much stuck with one of the big providers with bundled service.  Or you can get service FIRST from a competitive carrier and then add a third party DSL provider.  To do this use a tool like Shop4DSL to find the right provider for you.  

Trouble Alert:  Just understand that if you already have DSL you generally can't switch your provider with out canceling DSL first.  This is just one way the giant companies continue to fight competition from the smaller competitive carriers.  Many times it is worth going with out DSL for a few weeks just to have a choice, just be prepared for the problems, make sure you are happy with the price on DSL and the new provider first, then cancel DSL, order your new service and you can then add DSL.  It is a real pain but Verizon, Quest and they others are betting you won't do it so they can keep your business.  Or you can always go to cable intenet which is usually a lot faster but also more expensive.

When you mention VoIP (voice over internet protocol) which is also commonly known as broadband phone you often get a look from people that indicates they think it is far to technical for the average person.  I mean it just sounds like something reserved for propeller heads and computer geeks doesn't it?  Rest easy though because if you can plug in three wires you are probably tech savvy enough to use VoIP in you own home.

Yet another popular trend it simply going to cellular for all phone service needs.  This has its' own unique set of problems and advantages.