800 Demand Could Lead to Halts in Service

Telecommunications industry sources now say an unthinkable embargo on new toll free phone service in the United States is a real possibility within the next year. Facing a severe shortage of available 800-numbers, a skyrocketing demand for toll free service and an emerging black market for 800 numbers, insiders say officials feel they are left with no choice but to impose an embargo.

Read more here.

The Secrets That They Keep

Mortgage companies have found it difficult to get prospective clients this past year and a half. Not having a 1-800 number isn’t helping and loan modifiers and real estate agents alike went clamoring to get one when they realized things weren’t getting better…

More info here!

877 Numbers Provide Relief to Beleaguered Businesses

With 1-800 numbers becoming more and more difficult to obtain, some business owners are finding relief by securing 877 numbers.

Supplies of 800 numbers are decreasing while demand is growing. According to the Federal Communications Commissions, toll free service is a valuable commodity for businesses and popularity is consistently on the rise. The availability of toll free numbers is plummeting yet there are no immediate plans by the FCC to overcome the shortage by launching the reserved 855 numbers

Read more here.

Shortage + Demand = Crisis

Telecommunications industry sources now say an unthinkable embargo on new toll free phone service in the United States is a real possibility within the next year. Facing a severe shortage of available 800-numbers, a skyrocketing demand for toll free service and an emerging black market for 800 numbers, insiders say officials feel they are left with no choice but to impose an embargo.

Read more here.

Rationing Of Toll-free Phone Numbers Scrutinized

The force behind the demand for toll-free numbers is not only the traditional business use: a growing market is comprised of residential customers. If rationing is implemented, obtaining a new toll free number will be more difficult than ever before.

Read more here.

Is a Toll Free Phone Service Embargo in the U.S. Possible?

Telecommunications industry sources now say an unthinkable embargo on new toll free phone service in the United States is a real possibility within the next year. Facing a severe shortage of available 800-numbers, a skyrocketing demand for toll free service and an emerging black market for 800 numbers, insiders say officials feel they are left with no choice but to impose an embargo.

Read more here.

800 Number Shortages Lead FCC to Consider Rationing

The force behind the demand for toll-free numbers is not only the traditional business use: a growing market is comprised of residential customers. If rationing is implemented, obtaining a new toll free number will be more difficult than ever before.

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. Since then, there have been no new pre-fixes introduced and supplies are rapidly shrinking.

Read more here.

Phone Service May Be Put on Hold in the U.S.

Recent reports have referred to the situation as the ‘the perfect storm” meaning the shortage of numbers, the soaring demand, and the failure of the federal government to release reserved numbers have all collided to create a situation in which rationing, an embargo or even a complete depletion of 800 numbers is possible.

More than two-thirds of the available supply of 800, 888, 877, and 866 numbers are taken and millions of new subscribers are registering every year. Business owners who wait much longer to obtain a number might find themselves out of luck. In a competitive market, a toll free number is a valuable commodity for every business.

Read more here.

If Supplies of Toll Frees Remain Low Proposed Rationing Of Toll-free Phone Numbers May Proceed As Planned.

The force behind the demand for toll-free numbers is not only the traditional business use: a growing market is comprised of residential customers. If rationing is implemented, obtaining a new toll free number will be more difficult than ever before.

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. Since then, there have been no new pre-fixes introduced and supplies are rapidly shrinking.

Read more here.

Proposed Rationing Of Toll-free Phone Numbers Considered

The stock of available toll free numbers is now so depleted that insiders say government agencies may implement another rationing of the 800, 888, 877, and 866 pre-fixes within months. Rumors of a rationing program have subscribers scrambling to obtain numbers, creating an even more limited supply.

Read more here.