Toll Free Costs – What you can expect.

Subscribers will never encounter any surprise costs and hidden fees with toll free numbers obtained through a reputable service provider. Subscribers can choose from a list of specific services and products not available through regular phone service. With toll free service, they never pay for options they don’t need and won’t use.

Read more here.

CALEA, At It Again

As part of an investigation, law enforcement agencies or intelligence services can tap into a phone call or trace the origin of the call without advising any of the parties involved in the communications. Get the CALEA information here.

Matching Domain and Toll Free

Matching domains and toll free phone numbers is becoming increasingly popular as a way to define a company’s image. Getting these matches is still possible, especially when dealing with a service provider that has access to a good stock of existing, available toll free phone numbers. And when the new 855 toll free area codes become available, these matches will be even more obtainable and easy to secure.

Fiber Optics Gaining Steam?

Fiber optics used for telecommunications is considered far more reliable than VoIP, particularly for long distance calls, because it allows for longer intervals of signal transmission without interruptions. Fiber optics provides a quality connection that ensures clarity in every call. With this technology, optical fibers are used instead of metal, reducing lost connections from electromagnetic interference.

Read more here.

The First Toll Free

Launched in 1967 by AT&T, 800 numbers came under the purview of the FCC in the 1980s when the phone service monopoly broke apart. In 1991, the FCC required that toll-free numbers be portable, meaning that a toll-free number subscriber can “port” his or her number to a new provider when changing toll-free number service providers. Read the full news story here!

Timeline of Toll Free Subscriptions

If a toll free phone service carrier advises a customer that if will take weeks for a new toll free number, that customer should be told to find another service provider. Toll free numbers can, and should, be issued within just days. Even the transfer of an existing number should be speedy and easy to accomplish. If a carrier is taking weeks to get number for people, then their methods of obtaining these numbers could be in question. Toll free customers should be advised that properly-approved service providers can obtain new toll free numbers in just a few days, sometimes less.

VoIP Losing Steam?

VoIP users may also find that some calls they wish to make just wont connect to the other party. Until these glitches are fixed, fiber optics is considered a superior option, particularly for toll free phone service. Business owners who subscribe for an 800 number are dependent on clear, reliable connections to their customers and cannot risk losing business on unstable VoIP systems.

Read more here.

Official List of SMSGOV Approved Toll Free Service Providers

In addition to the complete list of toll free telephone companies SMSGOV.com maintains; SMS-GOV.US also maintains a list of approved Toll Free Service Providers.

Read more here.

Who is The SMS?

The SMS/800 Data Center houses the main database of available toll free 800, 888, 877 and 866 phone numbers for the United States and Canada. The SMS/800 maintains and updates the database and keeps records of the owners of each number and the service providers. Available numbers on the database are assigned to subscribers on a first-come, first-served, basis.

Who Is the SMS? Find out here.

When The 855s Are Released

We were asked recently why the FCC hasn’t announced a date for the release of the new toll free phone number area code(s). There are many possible responses and we are not certain precisely why. But one thing is for certain, we hope they do make an announcement about the 855 area codes sometime this year. New stockpiles of toll free numbers will bring opportunities for businesses nationwide. Existing companies and new businesses will all get a boost form these new numbers to choose from. There are rumors that it will be in 2011. We will see.