(ARA) - There are increasingly more and more choices today from telephone companies offering local and long distance service or combined service. Here is an easy way for people to narrow the gap in selecting a service that best matches their monthly budget and lifestyle.

Start with 5 simple questions: (answer yes or no)

1. Do you want to reduce the amount of your monthly phone bill?

2. Do you need to make frequent long distance calls?

3. Do you use e-mail?

4. Are calling features important to you?

5. Is your current phone bill difficult to understand?

People who answer yes to all or most of these questions, may benefit from the newest wave of phone service combining local and long distance service, multiple calling features and Web-based capabilities on one bill for one flat monthly rate.

Eric Robinson, a high school teacher in Fort Worth, Tex., switched his phone service to Z-Tel Communications Inc. about a year ago. He made the change to Z-Tel's Z-Line Home Edition to save money, but saving money is only part of his total satisfaction with the new service. He also found staying in touch easier by using calling features he didn't know existed before.

Robinson coaches a local swim team and uses broadcast messaging to communicate with his members. "I got my entire team to join the service so we could communicate easier and cheaper. I can record a Voicemail message or type an e-mail message and send it to everybody on my team by pushing one button," said Robinson. "I don't even have to worry about expensive calling charges to call team members outside my local calling area."

Z-Tel's multiple-number call forwarding feature called "Find Me" also is a lifesaver, says Robinson. "I only need to give people one number to reach me -- my Z-Line -- which rings to my home phone, cell phone and office phone in that order every day, so people can always find me. It keeps me in touch with the people I care about the most."

Robinson uses another Z-Line Home Edition feature called Z-Alerts as part of Z-Tel's bundled phone service to receive free personalized information alerts about news, weather, sports and finance.

To learn more about Z-Tel Communications and how its technology is making phone service less expensive and more comprehensive, call (800) 246-5450 or visit Z-Tel's Web site at www.ztel.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com, e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com