How to troubleshoot if you can’t call long distance

If you’re experiencing an issue with your phone service and can’t make long distance calls, we can help. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot your issue.

Troubleshooting first steps

Start with checking the basics like your plan details and any billing issues.

Verify your plan has long distance: Make sure your voice plan includes long-distance.
Remove any long-distance blocks or codes: Some blocks and codes might be affecting your service.
Check for billing issues: Your phone service could be affected if there’s a billing issue, like an expired payment method. chat with us for help.
Check for a busy signal or message: If you’re hearing a busy signal or another type of message when trying to make a call, make note of it to help identify what issue you’re having.

Troubleshooting phone calls

Next, try making some test calls to check for issues with the phone number or area code you’re dialing.

Try making a local call: If you’re not able to call locally or long-distance, try our can’t call out troubleshooting page.
Double check the number: Make sure you’re dialing the correct number, whether it’s a 7-digit or 10-digit number, and using a 1 before the number if necessary. Check to see if 10- or 11-digit dialing is in your area code.
Test the area code: Try calling other numbers in the same area code. If you’re able to call other numbers and you’ve isolated the problem to a specific number, check with the owner of that number to see if they’ve accidentally blocked you.
Try other areas codes: See if you can successfully call long distance to other numbers.
Test with a cell phone: See if you can use your cell phone to call the number you can’t reach on your home phone. This will help rule out issues with the number.