A new trend in the use of 800 numbers is drastically increasing the number of subscribers to toll free service. The new users? Families.
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Experts say that consumers recognize that many of the advantages of 1-800 numbers outweigh standard local phone service. Toll free service is becoming increasingly common with parents wishing to keep in close contact with children and teens. Businesses with a 1-800 number see increases in sales, word of mouth referrals and a decrease in product returns. Standard local phone service does not provide any of these advantages.
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866 numbers are the newest toll free numbers, released by the Federal Communications Commission in 2000 to address the shortage of 800, 888, and 877 numbers. Once consumers began to recognize the 866 pre-fix as toll free, the value of 866 soared. Recent studies indicate that 9 out of 10 consumers recognize 866 as a toll free number. The 866 numbers are more popular then ever before, increasing in demand every day.
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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.
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A new trend in the use of 800 numbers is drastically increasing the number of subscribers to toll free service. The new users? Families.
Personal use of toll free phone service has skyrocketed in the past five years. Adults are now routinely providing elderly parents on a fixed income with an 800 number. Parents are hooking their kids up with toll free service so they can keep in constant communication. And experts say this trend is not a passing fancy. Toll free service for personal use is here to stay.
Toll free numbers enable callers to reach businesses, organizations, and non-profits without having to pay for the call. This trend has been so successful that the available 1-800, 888, 877, and 866 numbers are decreasing while demand is growing at unprecedented rates. In fact, an average of 8,000 new subscribers sign up for toll free numbers every single day.
Toll free service has gone through several incarnations over the past four decades. First, 800 numbers were primarily used by big business. This is still the case—almost all of the Fortune 500 companies have an 800 number. Then, toll free service became more affordable and easy to obtain, causing a surge in use by small businesses, online companies, and not-for-profits. Now, personal use is all the rage.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) both report that personal use of toll free numbers is on the rise. The popularity of the 1-800 number, introduced in the late 1960s, led the FCC to add the new pre-fixes 888 and 877 in the mid-1990s. When availability of those numbers became scarce in 2000, the 866 pre-fix was added to overcome the shortage. Now, eight years later, the supply is nearly depleted.
With supplies of available toll free numbers plummeting, experts are recommending that anyone wishing to obtain a toll free number secure one immediately. When obtaining numbers for use by children and elderly relatives, it is especially important that subscribers deal with reliable service providers. Companies like AT&T and Verizon quickly secure a number for any subscriber, offer low rates, and reliable fiber optic connections.
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The popularity of 1-800 numbers is surpassing that of local phone numbers at rates exceeding industry expectations.
Toll free service has increased at such a fast pace that the supply of available 1-800 numbers is at an all-time low. According to the Federal Communications Commission 1-800, 888, 877 and 866 numbers are increasingly popular for businesses and for personal use. With no plans for the addition of new numbers, the existing supply is quickly depleting.
Experts say that consumers recognize that many of the advantages of 1-800 numbers outweigh standard local phone service. Toll free service is becoming increasingly common with parents wishing to keep in close contact with children and teens. Businesses with a 1-800 number see increases in sales, word of mouth referrals and a decrease in product returns. Standard local phone service does not provide any of these advantages.
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. 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 indispensible for business.
Toll free service has been available for 40 years, but has skyrocketed in popularity in the past decade. 1-800 numbers were introduced in 1967. By the 1980s, half of all long distance calls were through 800 numbers. A decade later, the FCC added two new pre-fixes, 888 and 877, to address the shortage of available 800 numbers. Then with the supply continuing to drop while demand increased, 866 numbers were added in the year 2000.
Industry insiders are recommending that anyone wishing to obtain a toll free number secure one immediately. With a limited number of toll free possibilities, the finite supply is nearly expended. It is important that subscribers deal with reliable service providers. Companies like AT&T and Verizon quickly secure a number for any subscriber, offer low rates, and reliable fiber optic connections.
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With 800 numbers becoming more and more difficult to obtain, the toll free 866 numbers are rising in popularity and fast becoming one of the most requested toll free numbers.
866 numbers are the newest toll free numbers, released by the Federal Communications Commission in 2000 to address the shortage of 800, 888, and 877 numbers. Once consumers began to recognize the 866 pre-fix as toll free, the value of 866 soared. Recent studies indicate that 9 out of 10 consumers recognize 866 as a toll free number. The 866 numbers are more popular then ever before, increasing in demand every day.
But insiders warn that just like 800, 888, and 877, the 866 numbers are in short supply. A nationwide demand for toll free service has caused supplies of the limited available phone numbers to plummet.
Toll free 800 numbers were introduced in 1967. Two decades later, when most of the 7 million possible numbers were taken, the 888 pre-fix debuted. It took just two years for that supply to run out. With the popularity of toll free service soaring and supplies dropping, the FCC then launched 877 in 1998 followed soon after by 866. While insiders initially worried that consumers would not recognize 877 and 866 as toll free, these numbers have steadily grown in popularity.
The FCC has reserved 855 numbers for future use. But according to SMS/800, the reserved 855 pre-fix, intended to restore the rapidly decreasing stock of numbers, may not be released for several years. In fact, industry insiders say 855 might not be introduced until 2011.
Experts recommend that anyone wishing to obtain a, 866 toll free number secure one immediately. With a limited number of toll free possibilities, the finite numerical supply is nearly expended. Companies like AT&T and Verizon can quickly secure a number for any subscriber, then offer low rates, a variety of services and reliable fiber optic connections.
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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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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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Toll Free Service Management System News 