I know I'm not alone in feeling as though I'm in the Dark Ages when it comes to figuring out phone services and various calling plans. I'm truly not a Luddite, but with the plethora of phones, phone cards, calling cards, long distance phone service options, and local phone service options available, how is the average consumer supposed to make an informed decision? There are times when I find myself longing for the old days, when AT&T was the only game in town - or the country, for that matter.

I received a call from my phone company about a week ago. It turns out that my DSL contract is up at the end of the month. To be honest, I didn't even know I had a contract for DSL. I thought I just signed up for it - end of story. The sales rep on the phone started asking rapid-fire questions about my current phone service and rattled off different types of phone service and rate plans. I was completely paralyzed. First, I didn't understand why, if she was from the phone company, she didn't already know my calling plan. Second, I have a deep distrust in this phone company, and simply wanted to keep my service, and for her to go away. I told her as much, though very politely, of course. Needless to say, I'm dreading my next phone bill, just in case she messed with my plan.

In the meantime, I decided to hold my breath and dive into the world of telephony in an attempt to figure out what options are out there. What I've discovered is that there are many new technologies and plans available for virtually every need.

For example, dial around is a great option for people who want to save money on domestic and international long distance while still using their own phone (cell, home, or business) and not changing companies. It combines the convenience of a calling card with many of the features found with traditional long distance.

VOIP is a great option for people with high speed Internet. They can have low cost local and long distance phone without sacrificing quality. They will also get very low international call rates and many features not found with traditional phone service.

International callback works well for people who live outside the U.S. and want to make low cost international calls. They can bypass their existing high cost long distance company and make high quality, low cost calls throughout the U.S.

Pre-paid phone cards are great for people who are traveling or who want to make occasional low cost domestic or international calls. They can be used to make calls from 130 countries and offer convenience because they can be used from any phone.

Right now, I'm deciding which option to use for low cost international calls, since my mother-in-law lives in Europe and I live in the U.S. Although my cell phone service touted low international rates, my last bill was astronomical. I'll definitely never call her from my cell phone again.