Adelphia Long Distance Service Customers May Benefit From Shutdown

Adelphia To Shut Long-Distance Phone Operations -FT - May 24, 2005

Adelphia's long distance phone customers are likely to be left scrambling for new long distance service this summer according to a Dow Jones report in CNN Money, and other news articles. This could be the best thing that ever happened to them. Here's why.

Adelphia, the nation's 5th largest cable TV company, is selling off its assets as part of a bankruptcy reorganization. Time Warner and Comcast are getting the lucrative Cable TV assets. Adelphia has been looking for a buyer for their long distance service, but haven't found any takers. Perhaps that's because their in-state and state to state calling rates are way out of line with today's standards.

For instance, Adelphia's latest published (3/1/05) plan rates vary from 7 to 8 cents per minutes for state to state calls. In comparison, PowerNet Global, a large and well known long distance carrier charges only 4.5 cents per minute for calls at any time with 6 second billing and no monthly fee. PNG's in-state long distance rates are also as good or better than Adelphia's in nearly every state:

Florida: Adelphia 9 cents per minute, PNG 8.9 cents per minute
Ohio: Adelphia 9 cents per minute, PNG 4.8 cents per minute
Pennsylvania: Adelphia 9 cents per minute, PNG 6.9 cents per minute
Virginia: Adelphia 9 cents per minute, PNG 7.4 cents per minute

Residents of Maine who have been using Adelphia's long distance service for in-state calls have been paying 22 cents per minute when they could have made the same calls using PNG for 8.8 cents per minute.

This is probably a good wake-up call for anyone who has been using the same long distance service for years figuring that all carriers charge pretty much the same rates. Not by a long shot. It's also a good cautionary tale about what can happen when you opt for the convenience of bundling all your telecommunications services with one company. You can wind up paying dearly for the convenience of getting one monthly bill.

At this point it looks like Adelphia will start sending out 30 day notices of service termination starting later this month. Considering how much you can save by switching long distance carriers, it seems silly to wait for the axe to fall. You might as well go ahead and get set up with a better calling plan now and start saving money right away.

We recommend PowerNet Global (PNG) because they are a large reliable long distance carrier with competitive rates and because they have options to make it easy to switch your service. You can get details on the plans and order PNG long distance service online.

If you have a calling card or inbound toll free number with Adelphia, those will also be terminated when you switch providers. No problem. PNG also offers a calling card at 9.7 cents per minute and toll free service at the same rates you pay for your long distance calls. Order these at the same time you order your long distance service from PNG. Yes, you can transfer your current toll free number.

Now, don't jump and cancel your Adelphia services. Let PNG make the switch for you so there won't be any interruption of service. It takes 7 to 10 days for the switching process to complete.

Also be sure to watch for a confirmation email after you place your order. That will give you further instructions including how to verify that you do intend to switch your long distance services to a new provider.

Yeah, it's that easy. You can place your online order for PNG long distance service any time at your leisure. Or, if you are a little uncertain about ordering online or want to discuss your options with a sales representative, call 1-866-706-0007 and give this identification number to the sales rep: 0002970.

Regardless of what services might eventually be offered to current Adelphia customers, no one long distance service is right for everyone. Long Distance Rate Finder .com offers many competitive long distance plans from great carriers, including Pioneer Telephone. Take a second and let our Long Distance Best Rate Calculator show you what else is available for your home or business.