These days the best long distance rates are not found with your home carrier. There's too much competition in the marketplace and many people are discovering that a prepaid card can actually save them money. A coalition of long-distance phone companies has developed a package of reforms that will be implemented as soon as the Federal Communications Commission approves them.

Ultimately, these changes will increase competition in the telephone marketplace, which will cut costs even further.

Although technology has allowed phone companies to trim personnel even as call volume surged, reductions in access rates have made the most difference.

In looking for the best long distance rates most people realize that there aren't massive savings when switching from long-distance provider to long-distance provider, but the prepaid market has definitely cut long distance costs.

There's never been a better time to make long-distance calls.

Many carriers are offering competitive long-distance service, and rates have fallen by some 85 percent in the past 15 years. Nonetheless, it pays to shop around; the more cautious you are as a consumer, the better the choice you'll finally make.