Telephone

As you may have noticed elsewhere in this handbook, phone numbers are listed with three different area codes: 404, 770, and 678. All are considered local area codes. In Atlanta, you must dial the area code before the seven-digit phone number in order to place a call.

To have telephone service installed at your house or apartment, call AT&T at 888-757-6500. For basic monthly service the cost is about $35.00, and the cost goes up with the options you select (such as touch-tone service, maintenance plans, and call waiting). When you call AT&T to start service, a customer service representative will ask you for the following information: (1) Your street address; (2) whether you have had previous telephone service in Atlanta; (3) credit information (without a good credit history, you will have to pay a deposit); (4) what services you want; and (5) your choice of a long distance company. It takes two to three days before service begins. For additional information, please visit www.bellsouth.com

There are numerous companies that you can choose to provide your long distance service. AT&T (1-800-222-0300), MCI (1-800-274-5565), and Sprint (1-800-877-7746) are the most often selected (all 1-800 calls are toll-free), but there are other companies available and you should compare rates and benefits if you can. The least expensive way to telephone home (and to make domestic long-distance calls) could be to use a pre-paid telephone card. These are available in many places such as convenience stores. You may want to ask students from your home country which cards they have used or would recommend for your particular country.

A cell phone is another option you may want to consider. Besides getting information on specific wireless phone companies on the web, check the Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution for advertised specials as well as specials advertised by businesses such as Best Buy, Radio Shack, Office Depot and Circuit City which sell wireless plans for a variety of companies. Current common wireless companies are AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Cingular and Nextel.

If you need to make a telephone call in a public place, often you can use a pay phone. A local call usually costs 35 cents; in some businesses/locations, pay phones cost 50 cents. For long distance calls, the calling card or cell phone is probably best. Collect calls can be made by dialing 1-800-CALLATT or 1-800-COLLECT (a commercial collect-calling service) or by pressing the "operator" key and asking the operator to make a collect call for you.