Long-Distance Charges While Driving

[NoReMoRsE]

Hey guys, I have an odd question that I've tried to google with no help. Let's say I am driving along and place a local call (handsfree ) and during the conversation, my car now enters a location where the call is no longer local (i.e. it would now be a long-distance call had I dialed the number directly). What happens in that case? Are you now charged at a long-distance rate?

Note that I am not asking about roaming, and that for this question, please assume it is the same carrier, just a new long-distance location.

Thanks!

 

[Deeko]

For starters...what cell phone plan doesn't include "long distance"?

Secondly, I do believe long distance rates are based on the area code of the phone, not the physical location. I could be wrong, I guess.

 

[AstroManLuca]

What's long-distance?

 

[NoReMoRsE]

Hey Deeko, yeah, my cell phone plan doesn't include long distance. I'll pay through the nose to pick up a call in an area code not my own, or to dial long distance numbers directly.

Let's say I am in a 123 area code, and dial a local 123 number, and keep the convo going as I drive to a 456 area code and then a 789 area code, all the while being picked up by the same carrier's phone towers. Since I initially dialed a local number, am I still paying local rates?

 

[Deeko]

Wow, I haven't heard of a local plan like that for almost 10 years. I honestly don't know. That's probably up to your carrier, I'd contact them, I doubt many of us here have recent experience with a plan like that.

 

[gsaldivar]

Wow... looks like it's time to switch providers!

 

[Spoooon]

Hey Deeko, yeah, my cell phone plan doesn't include long distance. I'll pay through the nose to pick up a call in an area code not my own, or to dial long distance numbers directly.

Let's say I am in a 123 area code, and dial a local 123 number, and keep the convo going as I drive to a 456 area code and then a 789 area code, all the while being picked up by the same carrier's phone towers. Since I initially dialed a local number, am I still paying local rates?

How much do you pay and how many minutes do you get? Is there a reason why you're on that carrier and not with one of the big ones?

 

[NoReMoRsE]

I'm with Telus Mobility in Canada, on a secret corporate/government plan. It includes:
-250 daytime minutes
-unlimited evenings starting 6 PM, unlimited weekends
-free unlimited nationwide texting
-free voicemail
-free call display
-free call waiting
-free call forwarding (no clue what this is)

All for $20 + tax = $22.50 per month. It suits my purposes for the price I want.

 

[Zstream]

I never knew of a cell phone plan counting long distance... That happened maybe like 8-9 years ago but now?

 

[corkyg]

Can't really say - I use OnStar in that scenario. )

 

[Childs]

Why not call your provider and ask? I had a plan with Pacbell that considered something like a 15 mile radius as local, and past that is long distance, even if its in the same area code. Better to talk to your service provider.

 

[rudeguy]

Hey guys, I have an odd question that I've tried to google with no help. Let's say I am driving along and place a local call (handsfree ) and during the conversation, my car now enters a location where the call is no longer local (i.e. it would now be a long-distance call had I dialed the number directly). What happens in that case? Are you now charged at a long-distance rate?

Note that I am not asking about roaming, and that for this question, please assume it is the same carrier, just a new long-distance location.

Thanks!

Point of origination is what you are looking for. The way it works is that the call is billed from whatever tower you connect to first. Back in the old days of roaming, you could make a call from a home tower and talk all the way across the country as long as the call never dropped.

Each call can only be billed at one rate. Carriers will sometimes make it so that handoffs between their towers and roaming towers creates a call drop to prevent unbilled usage.

 

[lupi]

other than free texting, that's a pretty crappy plan. should be able to get a much more forgiving one for not much $$ more.

 

[Deeko]

I'm with Telus Mobility in Canada, on a secret corporate/government plan. It includes:
-250 daytime minutes
-unlimited evenings starting 6 PM, unlimited weekends
-free unlimited nationwide texting
-free voicemail
-free call display
-free call waiting
-free call forwarding (no clue what this is)

All for $20 + tax = $22.50 per month. It suits my purposes for the price I want.

just curious - how big is the local calling area? that's actually a pretty awesome plan for $20!

 

[NoReMoRsE]

just curious - how big is the local calling area? that's actually a pretty awesome plan for $20!

Local calling area is the city I'm in plus a little bit of the rural areas around. That's how it works in Canada.

NOBODY has long-distance automatically included in a plan, you have to request it specifically, and the cost is (for my plan):

$40 for unlimited
$20 for 200 minutes
$10 for 100 minutes
(I inquired)

I'm likely not going to get any long-distance.

 

[NoReMoRsE]

Point of origination is what you are looking for. The way it works is that the call is billed from whatever tower you connect to first. Back in the old days of roaming, you could make a call from a home tower and talk all the way across the country as long as the call never dropped.

Each call can only be billed at one rate. Carriers will sometimes make it so that handoffs between their towers and roaming towers creates a call drop to prevent unbilled usage.

Thanks, that seems logical to me.

 

[sswingle]

That's what I was thinking. As long as the call isn't dropped, its billed the same as when it started.

 

[rudeguy]

That's what I was thinking. As long as the call isn't dropped, its billed the same as when it started.

It also works this way for night and weekend minutes

 

[NoReMoRsE]

Hey guys, I just called Telus, and it's actually not the case.

Once you leave your local calling area, the call will start being billed as long-distance.

Sucks, but glad I clarified that.