Posted on August 13, 2009 by smsgov
In 1994, the United States Congress approved the Communications for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). The regulations were intended to preserve a wiretapping law put in place in 1968 and allow wiretapping over digital phone networks. CALEA requires telecommunications carriers to modify their equipment, facilities, and services to aid surveillance capabilities. Initially there was some question as to whether this would apply to VoIP—Voice Over Internet Protocol service—but in 2005 the courts ruled that indeed VoIP must comply with CALEA.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: calea, toll free | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 12, 2009 by smsgov
Some people in the toll free industry would be benefitted by remembering that according to regulations enacted on April 11, 1997 by the Federal Communications Commission, toll free phone numbers cannot be sold or brokered under any conditions. These rules were approved after the FCC fielded numerous complaints about price gouging for catchy vanity numbers and popular numeric sequences and they are still active and enforced.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: 1 800 numbers, fcc, hoarding, toll free brokering, toll free hoarding, toll free number | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 12, 2009 by smsgov
According to the FCC, anyone who is caught hoarding or selling toll free numbers will face severe penalties. In the past these have included an $11,000 fine per incident.
Read more here.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: 800, 800 number, auction, ebay, number, phone, resp org, resporg, sell 800 numbers, vanity | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 11, 2009 by smsgov
As the bad economy and the failing auto industry drives consumers to buy used vehicles instead of new, the Connecticut Better Business Bureau is promoting a toll free service to help consumers find good deals on used cars.
Some of the information discussed on the toll free hotline are the age of the car, safety issues, how long the consumer intends to keep it, features, and anticipated maintenance expenses. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) toll-free hotline is 800-424-9393.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: 1-800, hotline, NHTSA, toll free, toll free number | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 11, 2009 by smsgov
In the past, 800 and 888 pre-fixes have been the most popular choices of subscribers. Experts say this was due mostly to the lack of public awareness that 877 and 866 were also toll free. But in recent years, this situation has changed. Reports now indicate that the majority of the public recognizes all four pre-fixes as toll free. Business owners are quickly taking advantage of the 877 numbers.
Read more here.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: 800 numbers, 855 number, 866, 877, 877 number, 877 numbers, 888 | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 10, 2009 by smsgov
Verizon Communications Inc. has told Comcast Corp. that its Verizon-bashing “Don’t Fall for FiOS” advertisements are false and asked the cable giant to fix them in a “cease and desist” letter. Among other advertising claims, Comcast says that a comparable triple-play bundle of TV, phone and Internet service from Verizon can cost $400 more a year, after promotions expire, than one from Comcast. Meanwhile, Comcast faces heightened competition from Verizon and AT&T Inc., which are investing billions of dollars into new equipment to deliver TV and Internet along with their phone service in Comcast’s core markets. Verizon or AT&T compete in about 25 percent of Comcast’s franchise areas.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: Comcast. Verizon, phone service, telecommunications | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 10, 2009 by smsgov
What happens if regulators discover illegal hoarding or sales of toll free numbers. If the FCC discovers illegal hoarding, they immediately send out disconnect and suspend letters to the owner of the numbers. Additionally, the brokering of toll free numbers can result in hefty fines. Remember, last year, an astounding daily fine of $11,000 was reportedly imposed on a California company accused of improperly using toll free numbers.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: fcc law, toll free hoarding | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 9, 2009 by smsgov
The Timesunion.com is reporting troubles with broadband phone service and 911. Phone service over the Internet can cause problems for callers trying to reach 911 that traditional phone lines (and fiber optic technology) don’t have. Emergency assistance professionals are advising callers whose home phone line is the Internet to manually check to see that the 911 system knows where to find them.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: 1-800, broadband, fiber optics, phone service, toll free | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 9, 2009 by smsgov
The New York Times is reporting that Verizon has agreed to sell divisions that offer service to 4.8 million phone lines in 14 states to Frontier Communications for $3.3 billion in cash and $5.2 billion in Frontier stock. If it goes through, the deal will triple the size of Frontier, a collection of rural phone companies. As part of the reported deal, Verizon will wind up owning at least two-thirds of Frontier’s shares. The move allows Verizon to concentrate on its wireless business and on serving large companies. The company says that after the deal, only 15 percent of its revenue will come from residential customers.
Read more here.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: phone service, telecommunications, toll free, wireless | 1 Comment »
Posted on August 8, 2009 by smsgov
The FCC has been clamping down on violations of Section 251 (e) of the Communications Act of 1934, which prohibits the warehousing and hoarding of numbers. To ensure that toll free numbers are distributed in a fair and equitable way, the FCC is taking a close look at suspect activity. Recently they threatened an $11,000 daily fine to the owners of a California company for improper toll free use. This followed a string of unrelated instances, including at least one owner’s attempt to sell his numbers on eBay.
Filed under: Information | Tagged: 1-800, fcc law, toll free brokering, toll free numbers | Leave a comment »
