State Municipalities Provide Toll Free Hotlines

Every one of the 50 States have 1-800 hotline phone numbers advertised for citizens to report crisis situations, health concerns, child neglect, environmental problems, and to request constituent assistance. Nationwide, smaller government agencies–counties, towns, and villages—are likewise beginning to offer their residents 1-800 numbers to report concerns and to ask questions.

States Provide Toll Free Hotlines for Civil Services

Every one of the 50 States have 1-800 hotline phone numbers advertised for citizens to report crisis situations, health concerns, child neglect, environmental problems, and to request constituent assistance. Nationwide, smaller government agencies–counties, towns, and villages—are likewise beginning to offer their residents 1-800 numbers to report concerns and to ask questions.

Consumers Eagerly Anticipating Release of 855 Area Code

There have been shortages of good toll free numbers in the past. Remember, that to overcome shortages of 1-800 numbers, the 888 and 877 numbers were introduced in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Then, in 2000 the 866 numbers were added. Toll free numbers have become such a valuable commodity that the stock is once again depleted. Many people are asking……Where are the reserved 855 numbers? Will they be released soon?

What are your thoughts on the 855 numbers?

Average Consumer Able to Identify Advantages to Toll Free Service

These days, it seems that consumers recognize the real value of toll free over standard phone service. Experts say that the increase in consumer recognition of the advantages of 1-800 numbers is related to the tangible financial benefits of using toll free, particularly in tough economic times. Businesses with a 1-800 number can see almost instant increases in sales, word of mouth referrals, and a decrease in product returns. Standard local phone service often does not provide any of these advantages.

The T.A.C. Breaks Down CALEA in Detail

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

Toll Free Service Essential In Business World

Toll free service is now a staple of any type of business. Small business owners, following the lead of the CEO’s of nearly half the Fortune 500 companies, are using toll free numbers as a marketing tool. Personal use of toll free numbers has also grown. Estimates indicate that more than two-thirds of the available supply of 800, 888, 877, and 866 numbers are taken. Millions of new subscribers are registering every year.

Telecoms Turning Away from VoIP in Favor of Fiber Optics

Hearing more and more about fiber optics lately. Fiber optics used for telecommunications is still considered 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.

Carriers Need To Notify/Educate About Toll Free Transfers

It is important to keep in mind that when subscribers transfer a toll free phone number from one carrier to another there should be no–or very limited–interruption in service. Carriers need to make sure subscribers understand that in most instances service can be transferred without any down time. If working with quality companies, the subscriber should fine the transfer to be seamless. The bulk of the work is completed before the new phone company forwards a transfer request and this process should take just a few days. To educate the consumer, toll free providers should discuss the transfer process with potential subscribers who may be suffering with poor quality toll free service because they fear costly interruptions if they transfer.

Comcast Vs. Verizon

Last year Verizon Communications Inc. 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. The case was eventually settled however, Comcast still 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.

Telecoms Required to Abide by CALEA

All telecommunications companies as defined by the Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act (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 that all VoIP phone service, including toll free providers using VoIP, is subjected to the surveillance provisions under CALEA.