MATTOON – Local residents who subscribe to Consolidated Long Distance service will now be able to
make calls between Mattoon and Charleston for free. The service has automatically been added to all business and
residential Consolidated Long Distance accounts, therefore, no sign up is necessary.
Chris Niebrugge, Long Distance product manager, said all direct-dialed calls between the Mattoon prefixes
of 234, 235, 238, 258 and the Charleston prefixes of 345, 348 and 639 will be free for customers of Consolidated’s
long distance calling plans. Toll-free, operator assisted, calling card, coin operated and Directory Assistance calls
are not included in the free calling plan.
“The residents and business owners in this community make thousands of calls between the two cities each
day. We believe this announcement will be good news for customers as an added benefit of being a Consolidated
Communications Long Distance customer,” Niebrugge said.
Joe Dively, president of Telephone Operations, noted that as the two largest communities in Coles County
continue to grow closer together, it is essential to meet the community’s needs. “We are proud to offer this service
and provide an increase in the overall value to Consolidated Communications’ customers,” Dively said.
If you have questions or want to sign up for Consolidated Long Distance, please call 800-553-9981
(residential) or 800-500-9000 (business) to speak with a customer service representative. Customers can also sign up
for Consolidated Long Distance by visiting the Mattoon Communication Center at the Cross County Mall or the
Charleston Communication Center at 700 West Lincoln.
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