Telephone bills are often complicated.  Some say it is because the services are regulated.  Others say the telephone companies intentionally make it confusing to lessen your ability to change carriers. 

Regardless of which is correct, one thing is for sure -- long distance service is essentially a commodity.  Often, you cannot easily tell the difference in service between carriers. The primary distinction between reputable carriers is price.  However, complicated pricing schemes can make it difficult to compare prices.

You need to determine the number of calling minutes you use in any given month.  Beyond that, the rates vary by area called so you need to break your total calling minutes into the categories listed below.  By submitting this information to several carriers, you should be able to get an "apples to apples" quote.