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Telecom Completes Switch from MCI to Qwest

[Creation Date: 11-Apr-00]

University calling card calls are cheaper now that Telecommunicaton Services has switched its calling card carrier from MCI to Qwest.

It took about two months for TelCom to completed the switch of 786 calling cards, the deadline was March 31. Qwest World Cards were given to TUG (Telephone User Group) representatives for each campus department and distributed to individual card holders from there.

"We switched because we are getting lower cost service from Qwest than we received from MCI," TelCom Director Randy Sailer said. "Changing something like this is not something we do lightly given large amount of work required, but we felt it was worth it."

TelCom Calling Card Administrator Jackie Wright, who organized the switch, said the work involved shutting down each MCI card and activating each new Qwest card. Names also had to be verified to make sure people were still working on campus. Cardholders have been asked to cut up their old cards as soon as they receive the new ones.

Domestic calling rates are now 12.5 cents per minute with no surcharge. A 10-minute international call from UMass to Japan used to cost about $9.84, but now costs $1.93 (rates can vary slightly). Additional rate information is available at the Telecom Web site.

The Qwest Calling Card can be used from any phone in the United States to call anywhere in the country and to over 225 countries worldwide. While traveling abroad, you can use the WorldPhone toll-free access numbers to make calls back to the United States.

Calling cards are available to UMass faculty and staff members who are required to make business calls from telephones off-campus. The University has two customized calling card ranges to help reduce the potential for fraud, domestic and full international.

To obtain a calling card, download and fill out the calling card request form, send an email to phonebill@oit.umass.edu, or call 545-3548 and the form can be faxed to you.

If you have any questions about Qwest calling cards, please contact the TelCom Systems Office at 545-5737.