Toll Free Costs – What to expect.

Posted on June 23, 2008 by smsgov

Toll free phone service has become an affordable and reliable option that offers customers countless features and price points to meet their individual needs.

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.

Subscribers to toll free service have a distinct advantage because they retain ownership of their 800 number permanently. The service and number goes with them if they move and expand their business, and the cost is dependent on the specific services used. Subscribers simply sign up for service and choose the precise features they need.

If a business or company expands, their toll free service options can grow along with them.

Once cost prohibitive for small businesses or personal use, toll free service has now become affordable and easy to obtain. Experts say that most consumers recognize that the advantages of 1-800 numbers far outweigh standard local phone service.

A toll free number lends credibility to any business, enhances customer service, and increases customer confidence. There are no additional installations needed for a 1-800 number and the calls can be routed to any cell phone, landline, or fax. Studies show that sales can double and word of mouth referrals can increase by as much as 200% making toll free service an affordable and indispensable tool for any type of business.

With several million new toll free numbers registered each year, the supply is quickly depleting. The scarcity is causing a rush to obtain new toll free numbers or to register for disconnected numbers returned back to the system. Experts say the safest and most cost effective way to secure a toll free number is to contact a reputable service provider such as the ones we list here

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Fiber-Optic Toll Free Service

Posted on June 22, 2008 by smsgov

As the use of toll free phone service grows at record rates, the popularity of fiber optic toll free service is now far exceeding that of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service.

In fact, recent news reports indicate that many companies are dropping VoIP systems and replacing them with fiber optic service, the most advanced technology available.

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.

Fiber optics is also considered more secure. It is difficult, if not impossible, to detect motion through the fibers. This reduces concerns over phone calls being improperly monitored.

Some companies such use exclusively fiber optic technology. Other toll free number service providers still use the less reliable VoIP, which does not provide the consistent connections of fiber optics. In fact, in some circumstances with VoIP, if the power fails, phone calls cannot be transmitted at all.

To avoid gaps in telephone service and to ensure clear connections, experts recommend using fiber optics for secure and reliable phone connections.

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VoIP Toll Free Service

Posted on June 21, 2008 by smsgov

Once the darling of the telecommunications industry, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is losing steam as the premier phone service option, replaced by the more reliable fiber optic connections.

Vonage is proving to be the most reliable VoIP service providor.  Vonage has the largest customer base and highest rated uptime of other VoIP companies.

VoIP converts voices into digital signals that travel over the Internet. However, it has become difficult to perfect these systems and missed connections and interrupted service are a common problem. VoIP allows the calls to be made from a computer, a special phone, or a regular phone. To use VoIP, a broadband, or high speed, connection is required. If the caller is using a regular phone, the connection is converted to a normal telephone connection before it reaches its destination.

Unlike fiber optic service, VoIP service may be lost during power outages. Connections to faxes are often problematic as are calls for emergency services.

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.

The value of a 1-800 number has become a necessity for any business. Toll free numbers allow callers to reach businesses, organizations and even friends and relatives without being charged for the call. A toll free number lends credibility to any business, enhances customer service, and increases customer confidence. But the connection must be perfect for a toll free number to be beneficial. VoIP service cant make that promise. Fiber optics is the better option.

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How does toll free telephone service work?

Posted on June 20, 2008 by smsgov

Toll free numbers enable callers to reach businesses, organizations, and non-profits without having to pay for the call. This marketing tool has been so successful that the available 800 numbers are decreasing while demand is growing at unprecedented rates.

A toll free number forward to, or rings, at any local number and on any phone. It does not require a special set-up of installation of any kind. There are four toll free pre-fixes, 800, 888, 877, and 866, and they all work the same way. Calls to these numbers are charged to the subscriber, not to the caller. Vanity numbers spell a word or phrase that relates to the business.

Available numbers are managed through a database maintained by the 800 Services Management System (SMS/800). Service providers assign and reserve numbers off the database for their customers on a first-come, first-served basis. To get started, subscribers simply contact a service provider such as the ones we list on our site SMSGOV.com and find a suitable vanity number or numerical sequence, then sign on for service.

When choosing toll free service, subscribers typically can select from a menu of services—calls routed to land lines, faxes, emails etc. and a variety of other features that suit their needs and their budget. Once a number is assigned, it stays with the owner permanently. If a company grows or moves locations, the numbers remains, safeguarding the connection to all their customers.

According to the FCC, toll free numbers are becoming increasingly popular for business and personal use. Toll free numbers increase market reach, enhance customer confidence, establish recognition of brand image, and sustain businesses during times of a weak economy.

The popularity of the 1-800 number, launched in 1967, led the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to add the new pre-fixes 888 and 877 in the mid-1990s. When availability of those numbers plummeted, 866 was added in 2000 to overcome the shortage.

Industry insiders are looking ahead to the release of the 855 numbers reserved by the FCC. However, the launch of these numbers is not expected anytime soon and experts advise that anyone looking for toll free service should sign on now. Waiting for the “perfect” toll free number is a mistake. Dwindling stock and increase demand is creating a competitive market for 800 numbers.

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What ability does law enforcement have to monitor phone calls?

Posted on June 19, 2008 by smsgov

Emerging technology has raised questions about how, and under what circumstances and situations, law enforcement agencies can tap into and trace phone calls. As new and enhanced telecommunications systems develop, the debate over this issue becomes more intense.

At this point, law enforcement officers and intelligence agencies can seek permission from the courts to enact surveillance of telephone and computers as part of an investigation. They are authorized to do so by the Wiretapping Act of 1968, the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA), and the Patriot Act of 2001. Investigations involving monitoring phone calls must be specifically for solving a criminal case or intended for national security purposes.

According to the 2007 Wiretap Report, federal and state courts issued 2,208 orders for the interception of wireless, local phone, or Internet communications in 2007. This represents a 20-percent increase over the previous year.

Law enforcement agencies are, when warranted, able to tape the specifics of a conversation or to trace the origins of a call without either party on the call being aware of the surveillance. Under the provisions of CALEA, this applies to all telecommunications companies including VoIP—Voice Over Internet Protocol—services.

Communications over fiber optic systems are more difficult to tap and monitor. With fiber optic technology, picking up on transmissions can be more difficult.

If a phone tap is implemented, a computer copies the digitized phone conversation to a second line and it is impossible to tell whether a line is being tapped. A well-designed tap installed on a phone wire can be difficult to detect.

The American Civil Liberties Union has fought the expansion of law enforcement surveillance practices of telephone and computer conversations for decades. However it has been mostly unsuccessful.

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Explanation of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA)

Posted on June 18, 2008 by smsgov

In 1994 as a means of keeping up with emerging digital technology, 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.

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.

This means that all VoIP phone service, including toll free providers using VoIP, is subjected to the surveillance provisions under CALEA.

In fact, all telecommunications companies as defined by CALEA must maintain updated system securities plans with the Federal Communications Commission. Internet providers and VOIP service providers were required to submit their initial plan by March 2007 and now must provide updated material as mandated by CALEA.

Virtually all common carriers and telecommunications companies are subject to the regulations under CALEA. This means all telephone communications can be monitored as part of legal, warranted, surveillance by law enforcement agencies. However, fiber optic communications are a possible exception for some wiretapping purposes because detecting transmission through the fiber optic cables is very difficult.

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What role does the FCC play in toll free phone numbers?

Posted on June 18, 2008 by smsgov

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates the use of toll-free numbers and establishes rules on how they can be obtained and used.

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.

When the popular 800 numbers became scarce, the FCC introduced the 888 and 877 numbers in the mid-1990s and the 866 pre-fix in 2000. Available stock of toll free numbers is quickly depleting and industry insiders are awaiting the release of the 855 numbers currently reserved by the FCC. Insiders say these numbers may not be released for several years.

FCC’s rules designate the criteria for determining the status of each toll-free number, and prohibit “warehousing” and “hoarding” of toll-free numbers. However, the FCC does not oversee the assignment of toll-free numbers and does not have direct access to the toll-free number database maintained by the 800 Services Management System (SMS/800).

The FCC cannot provide any information about the status of a toll-free number or a request for a toll-free number on behalf of a customer. The FCC cannot reserve or hold numbers for a customer but they can mediate conflicts that arise over rights of ownership of specific numbers.

The FCC can intervene if they find a number is being used in a manner contrary to the established regulations. For instance, in 2005 the FCC took control of 1-800 RED-CROSS from a private owner and handed it over to the non-profit.

The value of toll free service has become a necessity for any type of business. The limited availability of new numbers and the limited turnover of used numbers have created an intense and competitive demand for 1-800, 888, 877 and 866 numbers. According to the FCC, popularity of toll free service has increased drastically over the past decade for both business and personal use.

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What is the SMS800 and what role does it play?

Posted on June 18, 2008 by smsgov

The millions of subscribers signing on for toll free service each year are quickly learning about the vital role of the 800 Services Management System (SMS/800).

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.

Additionally, the SMS/800 management team works with toll free service providers and with the owners and operators of the 800 numbers. The SMS/800 team is comprised of a representative of each of the Bell Operating Companies. The team has final authority on all issues that arise at SMS/800.

By law, all toll free phone service providers must deal with SMS/800 while assigning or reserving numbers for their customers. SMS/800 keeps records on the status of all 800 numbers, service providers, and call routing options.
The popularity of the 1-800 number, launched in 1967, led the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to add the new pre-fixes 888 and 877 in the mid-1990s. When availability of those numbers plummeted, 866 was added in 2000 to overcome the shortage. SMS/800, started in the mid-1980s, manages all these numbers.

While popularity soars, availability of new and used toll free numbers is plummeting. When an 800 number is disconnected, it goes into what is referred to as the aging process. At some point it becomes available on the SMS/800 database. Then, service providers can access the numbers and assign it to a customer in the United States or Canada.

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Assistance Capability Requirements for Wireline, Cellular, and PCS Telecommunications Carriers

Posted on June 11, 2008 by smsgov

Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act  (CALEA)

Assistance capability requirements for wireline, cellular, and PCS telecommunications carriers

  1. (a) Definitions.
    1. Call identifying information. Call identifying information means dialing or signaling information that identifies the origin, direction, destination, or termination of each communication generated or received by a subscriber by means of any equipment, facility, or service of a telecommunications carrier. Call identifying information is “reasonably available” to a carrier if it is present at an intercept access point and can be made available without the carrier being unduly burdened with network modifications.
    2. Collection function. The location where lawfully authorized intercepted communications and call-identifying information is collected by a law enforcement agency (LEA).
    3. Content of subject-initiated conference calls. Capability that permits a LEA to monitor the content of conversations by all parties connected via a conference call when the facilities under surveillance maintain a circuit connection to the call.
    4. Destination. A party or place to which a call is being made (e.g., the called party).
    5. Dialed digit extraction. Capability that permits a LEA to receive on the call data channel a digits dialed by a subject after a call is connected to another carrier’s service for processing and routing.
    6. Direction. A party or place to which a call is re-directed or the party or place from which it came, either incoming or outgoing (e.g., a redirected-to party or redirected-from party).
    7. IAP. Intercept access point is a point within a carrier’s system where some of the communications or call-identifying information of an intercept subject’s equipment, facilities, and services are accessed.
    8. In-band and out-of-band signaling. Capability that permits a LEA to be informed when a network message that provides call identifying information (e.g., ringing, busy, call waiting signal, message light) is generated or sent by the IAP switch to a subject using the facilities under surveillance. Excludes signals generated by customer premises equipment when no network signal is generated.
    9. J-STD-025. The standard, including the latest version, developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) for wireline, cellular, and broadband PCS carriers. This standard defines services and features to support lawfully authorized electronic surveillance, and specifies interfaces necessary to deliver intercepted communications and call-identifying information to a LEA. Subsequently, TIA and ATIS published J-STD-025-A and J-STD-025-B.
    10. Origin. A party initiating a call (e.g., a calling party), or a place from which a call is initiated.
    11. Party hold, join, drop on conference calls. Capability that permits a LEA to identify the parties to a conference call conversation at all times.
    12. Subject-initiated dialing and signaling information. Capability that permits a LEA to be informed when a subject using the facilities under surveillance uses services that provide call identifying information, such as call forwarding, call waiting, call hold, and three-way calling. Excludes signals generated by customer premises equipment when no network signal is generated.
    13. Termination. A party or place at the end of a communication path (e.g. the called or call-receiving party, or the switch of a party that has placed another party on hold).
    14. Timing information. Capability that permits a LEA to associate call-identifying information with the content of a call. A call-identifying message must be sent from the carrier’s IAP to the LEA’s Collection Function within eight seconds of receipt of that message by the IAP at least 95% of the time, and with the call event time-stamped to an accuracy of at least 200 milliseconds.
  1. In addition to the requirements in section 1.20006, wireline, cellular, and PCS telecommunications carriers shall provide to a LEA the assistance capability requirements regarding wire and electronic communications and call identifying information covered by J-STD-025 (current version), and, subject to the definitions in this section, may satisfy these requirements by complying with J-STD-025 (current version), or by another means of their own choosing. These carriers also shall provide to a LEA the following capabilities:
    1. Content of subject-initiated conference calls;
    2. Party hold, join, drop on conference calls;
    3. Subject-initiated dialing and signaling information;
    4. In-band and out-of-band signaling;
    5. Timing information;
    6. Dialed digit extraction, with a toggle feature that can activate/deactivate this capability

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CALEA – Tap and Trace Capabilities

Posted on June 11, 2008 by smsgov

In October 1994, Congress took action to protect public safety and ensure national security by enacting the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA), Pub. L. No. 103-414, 108 Stat. 4279. The law further defines the existing statutory obligation of telecommunications carriers to assist law enforcement in executing electronic surveillance pursuant to court order or other lawful authorization. The objective of CALEA implementation is to preserve law enforcement’s ability to conduct lawfully-authorized electronic surveillance while preserving public safety, the public’s right to privacy, and the telecommunications industry’s competitiveness.

May 3, 2006 Second Report, Memorandum Opinion, and Order — The primary goal of the Order is to ensure that Law Enforcement Agencies have all of the resources that CALEA authorizes with regard to facilities-based broadband Internet access providers (ISP) and interconnected voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) providers.

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