Toll-free telephone numberFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A toll-free, Freecall, Freephone, 800, 0800 or 1-800 number is a special telephone number which is free for the calling party, and instead thetelephone carrier charges the called party for the cost of the call. A toll-free number is assigned from a special dialing prefix range (also known as areacode) such as 1-800, although the specific numbers can vary by country.

The price of the call to the called party is usually based on factors such as the amount of usage the number experiences, the cost of the trunk lines to thefacility, and possibly a monthly flat rate service charge.

Use of a toll-free number often allows for capture of telephone numbers of incoming calls. In the United States, for example, toll free numbers usuallycapture the telephone number of the caller through automatic number identification, which is independent of caller ID data and captures caller information

even if caller ID is blocked.[1]

Contents

1 History2 Growth of 800 toll-free numbers as a business tool

3 Toll-free vanity number for branding & direct response4 North America

4.1 How toll-free calls are handled by operators4.2 Technical description of toll-free number routing in the U.S.

5 China

5.1 800 toll-free numbers5.2 400 toll-free numbers5.3 Differences between 800 and 400 numbers in China

6 Australia6.1 Toll-Free (usually referred to as Free Call or Free Phone)6.2 Local Rate numbers

6.3 Mobile phones

7 United Kingdom8 Universal International Freephone numbers

9 Freephone around the world

10 See also

11 References

History

'Freephone' services appeared in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with the Post Office introducing such a facility in 1960.[2] A toll-free service was

originated in the United States on May 2, 1967, by AT&T[citation needed] as an alternative to collect calling and to reduce the need for operators. AT&T

referred to the service as IN-WATS, or Inward Wide-Area Telephone Service (see WATS lines).[citation needed] The first company to use toll-freelines hosted numbers for major companies. Americana Hotels, Budget Rent a Car, Hyatt Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Rodeway Inns, Sheraton Hotels, andQuality Inn were a few of the major companies hosted. They grew very quickly but still went out of business. When this happened, all the major players

reacted by leasing space in and behind that original call center location (93rd and Bedford in Omaha, Nebraska) in strip malls[citation needed] so theycould continue to answer their toll-free calls and also rehire the already-trained staffing and management. Northwestern Bell and AT&T dedicated staff to

the 'Res City' area and their staff actually had offices located in the same strip malls[citation needed] to help make the transition and service the accountsgoing forward. That corner of 93rd and Bedford became known as 'Res City' because of all the call centers taking reservations there.

As the call centers continued to compete for the same talent pool, the larger chains relocated into buildings specifically built for them near the area whileothers moved outside of the state to avoid the direct competition for staffing.

Northwestern Bell and AT&T continued to cater to the businesses in Omaha and would activate service within 24 hours for clients in Omaha, givingOmaha a major advantage over other locations that would have to wait weeks for service. In 1983, Northwestern Bell and AT&T in conjunction withTelesystems and First Data Resources/WATS Marketing, developed a method to use Direct Inward Dialing (DID) to handle traffic so call centers nolonger had to have dedicated lines or trunk groups as they are called, to handle each telephone number. This was a major improvement in call center callflow design and this type of called number identification is still used by call centers today.

Roy P. Weber from Bridgewater, New Jersey, was the inventor of the second-generation 800 toll-free number system in 1978. Weber's U.S. PatentNo. 4,191,860 was filed July 13, 1978, and issued March 4, 1980, and assigned to AT&T. AT&T started to use this new technology from the Weberpatent in 1982. Weber's invention was called 'Data Base Communication Call Processing Method' ... more commonly called today a 'Toll-Free Call' or

'800 Call'.[3]

Growth of 800 toll-free numbers as a business tool

From 1967 until around 1986, two years following the 1984 AT&T breakup, AT&T had an absolute monopoly on assigning 800 numbers to subscribing

customers.[citation needed] Billing during that period was based on average hours usage per line per month. This type of billing required users to adjusttheir active lines based on actual peak hour usage to avoid buying hours at higher low tier rates. Usage would average 13-15 cents per minute dependingon the traffic being billed.

During 1985 and 1986, the FCC and the Federal Courts which oversaw the divestiture of AT&T and subsequent developments in the telecom industryordered an eventual fully competitive portable numbering system for toll-free numbers. The local Bell telephone companies (now separated from AT&T)and Bellcore would manage the databases for full number portability. However, it would take some time before this system could be fully developed,tested, and implemented across the country. No firm date was determined at that time for activating this database system nor the management of such asystem. New methods of telephone network signaling systems (SS7) were still under development and still needed to be implemented. In the meantime,starting about 1986, the Federal Government ordered Bellcore to assign specific 800-NXX codes to specific long-distance carriers. Thus, from 1986 to1993 Toll-Free customers were locked into a system that led them to the telephone carrier like AT&T or MCI that assigned them their 800 number,based on the first six-digits (the 800-NXX code) of their full 800 number. By 1991 the FCC ordered that by May 1, 1992, full number portability wouldneed to be in place nationwide, since the number database system and various peripherals and administrative functions were now available throughout thecountry. However, shortly before May 1992, the FCC and the telephone industry determined that the full implementation would need to be postponed

for another year. May 1, 1993 was the actual date when full 800 number portability was effective throughout the US.[citation needed] Canada fully joinedin the US 800 number portability system a year later in May 1994. Canadian 800 service developed in parallel with US 800 service in the 1960s and70s, and by 1984, "crossborder" US/Canada 800 service finally became available, where (upon the called customer's option), a US-based 800 numbercould now be called from Canada, and vice-versa, a Canadian-based 800 number could now be called from the US.

800 Number Portability means that toll-free numbers are no longer associated with a particular telephone carrier such as AT&T or MCI. 800subscribers can switch to another carrier without changing their toll-free number. Before toll-free number portability, toll-free subscribers were lockedinto their carriers, based on the 800-NXX code, the first six-digits of their 800 number. They could not change those carriers without changing their 800numbers. Starting in the early 1990s, Toll-Free 800 Service became a viable business tool with the use of Vanity Numbers such as 1-800-FLOWERS.With these changes, rates have continued to fall and the majority of large users are now buying toll-free services for less than 2 cents per

minute[citation needed].

In 1985, British Telecom in the United Kingdom started using 0800 (Freefone) and 0345 (local-rate) numbers[4] with Cable and Wireless also using0500 and 0645, in much the same way, just a few years later.

Toll-free vanity number for branding & direct response

See also: Phoneword#Vanity numbers in the United States

A toll-free vanity number, custom toll-free number, or mnemonic is a 1-800 telephone number that is easy to remember because it spells something andmeans something like 1-800-FED-INFO. A vanity number, being a phoneword, is easier to remember than a numerical phone number such as 1-800-348-7934. Businesses use easy recognizable 1-800 vanity numbers as both a branding and a direct response tool in their advertising (radio, television,print, outdoor, etc.).

North America

Toll-free numbers in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) are commonly called "800 numbers" after the original area code which was used todial them. They include the area code 800 since 1967, 888 (since 1996), 877 (since 1998), 866 (since 2000) and 855 (since 2010). Area codesreserved for future expansion include 844, 833, 822, 880 through 887, and 889.

Some regular area codes may be deceptively similar to toll-free prefixes (e.g., 801, 818, 860, etc.). These similarities have also been exploited byfraudsters in international locations that can be direct-dialed with what appear at first glance to be domestic area codes, including 809, 829, and 849,which are official prefixes for the Dominican Republic and 876 which is the area code for Jamaica. Toll-free numbers are also sometimes confused with900-numbers, for which the telephone company bills the callers at rates far in excess of long-distance service rates for services such as recordedinformation or live chat.

These toll-free numbers can normally be called from any phone in Canada or the US, though the owner (and sometimes the provider) can put restrictionson their use. Sometimes they accept calls only from either Canada or the US, or even only from certain states or provinces. Some are not accessiblefrom payphones. Calls from payphones assess the toll-free owner an additional fee in the USA as mandated by the FCC. Although toll-free numbers arenot accessible internationally, many phone services actually call through the USA, and in this case the toll-free numbers become available. Examples ofthese services are the MCI Worldphone international calling card and Vonage internet telephone. However, many calling card services charge their ownfee when their toll-free numbers are used to make calls, or when their toll-free numbers are used from pay phones.

From many countries (such as the UK), US toll-free numbers can be dialed, but the caller first gets a recorded announcement that the call is not free; infact, on many carriers, the cost of calling a 'toll-free' number can be higher than to a normal number.

US toll-free numbers could at one time be accessed from certain other NANP countries on a paid basis by replacing the 800 by 880, 888 by 881, and877 by 882. Thus, to reach 1-800-xxx-yyyy from a NANP country where it was blocked, 1-880-xxx-yyyy could be dialed. This is no longer true; areascodes 880, 881 and 882 have since been reclaimed for future use.

In addition, US toll-free numbers may be accessed free of charge regardless of the caller's location by some IP telephone services.

How toll-free calls are handled by operators

In the US and Canada, both interexchange carriers (IXCs) such as Sprint/Nextel, AT&T Inc., and Verizon, and Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) suchas Verizon and AT&T offer toll-free services.

The format of the toll-free number is called a non-geographic number, in contrast to telephone numbers associated with households which aregeographic. (Since the advent of cell phones (1985) and Internet phone services such as Vonage (2002) households can have any area code in the USA—it is still geographic in the sense that calls from that area code are considered local, but the recipient can be physically anywhere). In the latter case, it ispossible to determine an approximate location of the caller from the area code (e.g. New York or London). Toll-free numbers in contrast could bephysically located anywhere in the world.

When a toll-free number is dialed, the first job of the telephone operator is to determine where the actual physical destination is. This is achieved using theintelligent network capabilities embedded into the network.

In the simplest case, the toll-free number is translated into a regular geographic number. This number is then routed by the telephone exchange in thenormal way. More complicated cases may apply special routing rules in addition such as Time of Day routing.

Toll-free numbers are specific to each country. For example, a Sweden Toll-free number starts 020 and in Ireland, Thailand or Australia a Toll-freenumber would start with 1800-xxxxxx.

Technical description of toll-free number routing in the U.S.

The IXCs generally handle traffic crossing boundaries known as LATAs (Local Access and Transport Areas). A LATA is a geographical area within theU.S. that delineates boundaries of the LEC. LECs can provide local transport within LATAs. When a customer decides to use toll-free service, theyassign a Responsible Organization (RESPORG) to own and maintain that number. The RESPORG can be either the IXC that is going to deliver themajority of the toll-free services or an independent RESPORG.

Taking a closer look, when a toll-free number is dialed, each digit is analyzed and processed by the LEC. The toll-free call is identified as such by theservice switching point (SSP). The SSP is responsible for sending call information to the service control point (SCP), routing the request through at leastone signal transfer point (STP) in the Signalling System 7 (SS7) network. SS7 is a digital out-of-band method of transmitting signaling (call control)information in the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The SS7 network is a packet-switched network carrying signaling data (setup and teardown of the call and services) separate from the circuit-switched bearer network (the payload of the telephone call) in the AIN services network. TheSSP asks the SCP where to send the call.

The LEC will determine to which IXC that number is assigned, based on the customer's choice. Toll-free numbers can be shared among IXCs. Thereason a customer might do this is for disaster recovery or for negotiating a better price among the carriers. For example, a customer may assign 50% oftheir traffic to Sprint and 50% to AT&T. It's all up to the customer.

Once the LEC determines to which IXC to send the call, it is sent to the IXCs point of presence (POP). The IXCs SCP must now determine where tosend the call. When it comes to routing, the SCP is really the brains of the long distance network. Once the final determination of where the call issupposed to go is completed, the call is then routed to the subscriber's trunk lines. In a call center or contact center environment, the call is then typicallyanswered by a telephone system known as an automatic call distributor (ACD) or private branch exchange (PBX).

The subsequent routing of the call may be done in many ways, ranging from simple to complex depending on the needs of the owner of the toll-freenumber. Some of the available options are:

Time-of-Day (TOD) Routing. One of the simplest ways to influence the destination of the call is by using time-of-day routing. An example ofusing TOD routing would be a company with a call center on the east coast and a call center on the west coast. TOD routing would enable Followthe Sun routing. The east coast center opens first and calls are sent to that destination earlier in the day. As the time changes across the country,expanded coverage would be offered by the call center in the west.

Day of Week (DOW) or Day of Year (DOY) Routing. Depending on the day of the week and business practices, not all call centers operate24x7. Some centers may be closed for weekends or holidays. DOW routing allows alternate routing for calls that arrive on specific days. DOYrouting allows for alternate routing on fixed holidays (example December 25).Area Code or Exchange Routing. Toll-free traffic may also be routed depending upon the location of the caller. For instance, if a company hascall centers in the north and in the south, they may express a preference to have their southern callers speak with people in the southern callcenters. Companies may also wish to take advantage of the difference in interstate rates versus intrastate rates. For example, the cost of atelephone call across multiple states may be less expensive than a call within a state, and as a result, the ability to route a call originating in

Michigan to a call center outside of Michigan can save a company substantial amounts of money.Percentage Allocation Routing. If a company has multiple call centers, the company can choose to route calls across a number of call centerson a percentage basis. For example, an airline with ten call centers may choose to allocate 10% of all incoming traffic to each center.All-Trunks-Busy Routing. If at a given time, a company's trunk facilities can no longer handle the incoming traffic, an alternate destination maybe chosen. This assists companies handling unexpected call volumes or during crisis times.Ring No Answer Routing. Some carriers have the ability to pull a call back into the network if the call is not answered. This provides for

contingency routing for calls that ring and are not answered at the final destination.Emergency or Disaster Routing. Companies usually have some type of disaster plan to deal with both natural (e.g. floods, fires andearthquakes) and man-made (e.g. bomb threats) emergencies. IXCs can provide alternate destinations should any of these situations occur.Take Back and Transfer / Transfer Connect / Agent Redirect. If a company uses an ACD to facilitate the transfer, the ACD will remain inthe call as long as the parties are on the phone. The drawback is that this uses up trunk capacity on the ACD (or VRU). This is called by a numberof names including hair-pinning or tromboning. IXCs have the capability to allow a company to answer a call, provide a level of service, and thentransfer the call to another location. These IXC features provide a level of transferring that is different from what is available via the ACD. There is

usually a feature charge associated with this offering.

All of the above routing features are sometimes referred to as static routing features. These routes are put in place and are not usually changed. If changesare required, a customer usually has several options to make changes. A customer can call the IXC or an independent RESPORG directly via a specialtoll-free number to make changes, or a customer may be able to make changes through direct access to the network via a dedicated terminal providedby the IXC.

China

800 toll-free numbers

800 toll-free numbers are commonly called "800 免费电话". The official name is "被叫集中付费业务" (called party collect paid service), which

means the cost of the call is borne not by the caller but by the party receiving the call.800 toll-free numbers in China are ten-digit numbers beginning with "800". There is no prefix before "800".800 toll-free numbers are not accessible to mobile network subscribers and some land-line subscribers. For instance China Tietong Telecom land-line users cannot access to 800 numbers.

400 toll-free numbers

400 service is called "主被叫分摊付费业务" (calling party and called party split-paid service), which means the calling party pays for the localaccess fee and the called party pays the toll (long distance) fee.400 toll-free numbers in China are ten-digit numbers beginning with "400".400 toll-free numbers can be accessed by all fixed-line and mobile phones.Callers have to bear local access charges from their service providers.400 toll-free numbers with prefix "4001" are international toll-free numbers which can be routed to destination numbers inside or outside of China.

400 toll-free numbers with prefix "4000", "4006", "4007" or "4008" are national toll-free numbers which can be routed to China destinationnumbers only.

Differences between 800 and 400 numbers in China

Calling a 800 number is free of charge. Calling a 400 number incurs local access charge.

800 numbers are accessible only to land-line subscribers, while 400 numbers are accessible to all land-line and mobile users.

Australia

Toll-Free (usually referred to as Free Call or Free Phone)

Toll-Free numbers in Australia are ten-digit numbers beginning with the prefix "1800".[5]

1800 numbers can be also found in Phonewords via an online auction.[6]

For all types, the recipient business pays for incoming toll charges.

In some cases, 1800 numbers can be accessed from international lines.Callers to an 1800 number are not charged a connection fee from a domestic fixed line. Calls from a mobile phone may incur charges dependingon the provider.

Local Rate numbers

A system similar to 1800 numbering exists where 6 or 10 digit numbers prefixed with 13 (one-three), 1300 or 1301 (colloquially one-three-hundred) canbe called at local call rates regardless of location.

Callers to 13 number are charged a "connection fee" by their telephone provider.13 and 1300 numbers are often "smart routed" to the local outlet of chain stores or fast food premises. They may also be used by different

companies in different regions.

Mobile phones

Mobile callers are charged to phone a 1300 number or 1800 number, usually at their normal per minute rate, but sometimes at predatory rates.These expensive numbers can be decoded to ordinary landline via http://www.e164.org/non-search.php and organisations usually offer a landline

number on their websites, though it may be hard to find.

Smart routed 1800 or 13(00) numbers often do not work on mobile telephone due to issues with owners of the numbers barring incoming callsfrom mobile devices due to higher call charges associated with such calls.

13 numbers, 1300 numbers and 1800 numbers are relocatable across Australia, and can be transferred between different telecommunicationssuppliers.

13 numbers are a premium number scheme, subject to charges from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)[7] of

approximately $10,000 per annum collected by the supplying carrier.

Premium numbers, such as those that spell a word using keypad letters, are regularly auctioned by the ACMA[8]

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, toll-free telephone numbers are generally known as "freephone" numbers (British Telecom numbers are officially Freefone) andbegin with the prefixes 0800, 0808 or the Cable & Wireless Freecall prefix 0500. The most commonly used prefix is 0800. Additionally, numbers in therange 0808 80x xxxx are reserved for not-for-profit helplines.

Since Orange UK introduced charges for dialling freephone numbers in December 2005, all British mobile networks (excluding giffgaff[9] who are aSIM-only mobile phone company) now charge for calls to freephone numbers, with certain limited exemptions (notably 0808 80x xxxx numbers,

Childline and some other services),[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] but this varies by network.

The UK mobile operators offer an alternative product to organisations who wish to provide toll-free services - 5-digit voice short codes which are soldthrough mobile aggregators.

Freephone numbers can be obtained for free, with calls charged from 1 penny per minute.[citation needed] Toll-free calls are also still available via theoperator, although largely superseded by the 0800 system - a commonly seen phrase in advertisements in the 1980s was "Dial 100 and ask forfreephone <business name>".

Universal International Freephone numbers

A Universal International Freephone Number (UIFN) is a worldwide toll-free "800 number" issued by the ITU. Like the 800 area code issued forthe NANP in the U.S. and Canada, the call is free for the caller, and the receiver pays the charges (except on certain cell phones). UIFN uses ITUcountry code 800, so that no matter where the caller is, only the international access code (IAC), the UIFN country code (800) and the 8-digit UIFN

need to be dialed. Currently, about 65 countries participate in the UIFN program.[17]

Freephone around the world

Countries around the world use different area codes to denote toll-free services in their own networks. Some examples are:

In Argentina, the prefix for toll-free numbers is "0800", followed by seven digits (the first three of them are fixed for each operator, so you may

know which carrier is serving the party you are calling). These numbers are called "0-800" (cero ochocientos) or "líneas gratuitas" (free lines).

There is also a local-rate service, similar to the explained above for UK and Australia, named "0-810" (cero ochocientos diez), where the callingparty pays the fee for a local call and the called party pays for the long distance fees.

In Armenia, the toll-free prefix is "800" followed by a five-digit number.In Austria, the prefix for toll-free numbers is also "0800", but only followed by six digits. They are commonly referred to as "Null-achthunderter

Nummern" (Zero-eighthundred numbers).In Belgium, the prefix "0800" is used for toll-free numbers, followed by 5 digits. They are commonly referred to as "Groen nummer" (Dutch) and

"Numéros verts" (French) or "Null-achthunderter Nummern" (Zero-eighthundred numbers)in the German speaking area.

In Brazil, the prefix is "0800" - although phone numbers are 8 digits - it is followed by 7 digits - 6 digits are being phased out. Toll-free numbers in

Brazil can be accessed from any telephone (by default) in Brazil, with many exceptions. They can be accessed from outside Brazil only with acalling service (such as Vonage Internet phone or MCI Worldcom calling service) that accesses numbers from within the called country. Many

toll-free numbers are not available from cell phones (usually blocked by the cell phone provider rather than the provider of the toll-free number inan effort to prevent low-price competition from calling card providers). Some toll-free numbers are not available from phones listed by the owner

of the number, including many payphones. For example, the MCI Worldphone calling service blocks usage from the pay phones in international

airports (Rio and São Paulo) and many downtown pay phones due to "excessive fraud" from those phones (July 2003). In addition, Brazil has asystem of regular and international pay phones (designated with the symbol "DDD"). Toll-free numbers to international calling plans can be reliably

used from non-DDD pay phones, as of 2005.In Bulgaria, the toll-free prefix is "0800" followed by a five-digit number (up to now, only 1XXXX and 20ххх numbers have been allocated).

These numbers are called "Зелен номер" (Green Number) by BTC and "Зелена линия" (Green Line) by M-tel.In Chile, the toll-free prefix is "800" followed by a six-digit number. These numbers are called "número 800" (800 number). These numbers can

not be accessed from abroad.

In China, see section above.In Colombia, toll-free numbers start with 018000

In Croatia, the prefix for toll-free numbers is "0800"

In Czech Republic, the toll-free prefix is "800".[18]

In Denmark telephone-numbers have eight digits. The toll-free numbers all begin with "80" followed by six further digits.

In Dominican Republic, it's 1-200-xxxx (in addition to the area code).In Egypt, it starts with (800) followed by the number.

In Ecuador, it starts with 1800 followed by 6-digit number. Some numbers have either regional or nationwide access. Calls from cellphones are

only allowed by the operator Alegro which charges a few cents for these calls. PORTA and movistar does not allow the service.In France the "0800" or "0805" prefix is used for toll-free numbers. They are also known as numéros verts (green numbers).

In Finland, the toll-free prefix is "0800".In Germany, the toll-free prefix is "0800" followed by a seven-digit number. The "0801" prefix is already reserved for future use. The prefix was

formerly "0130". Deutsche Telekom calls these numbers "freecall 0800", most Germans refer to it simply as "Null-achthunderter Nummern" (Zero-eighthundred numbers).

In Greece, the toll-free prefix is "800" followed by a seven-digit number or "807" followed by a four-digit number, used for phonecard services

only.

In Hong Kong, toll-free numbers have "800" prefix[19]

In Hungary, toll-free numbers have "80" prefix.

In Iceland, the toll-free prefix is "800" followed by a four-digit number.In India, the toll-free prefix is "1800" followed by an eight-digit number. Free if calling from a mobile phone. Calling from land-line and VoIP will

be considered a local call, with varying charges depending on the land-line and VoIP network providers.

In Indonesia, the toll-free prefix is "0800" followed by a seven-digit number.In Ireland, 1800-xxxxxx numbers are freephone, with the 1800 71xxxx reserved for services that expect unusually high volumes of calls e.g. radio

station phone-in lines.[20]

In Israel, toll-free numbers are prefixed with "1800" followed by 6 digits, "180" followed by 7 digits or "177-022" followed by 4 digits.In Italy, toll-free numbers are dialed with the "800" or "803" prefix and are commonly referred to as "Numero Verde" (green number) or "Linea

Verde" (green line). The "Numeri Verdi" used to begin with "1678" and later with "167".

In Japan, the prefixes "0120" and "0800" are officially assigned for toll-free numbers and are often referred to as "free dial" (フリーダイヤル) or"free call" (フリーコール). Several telephone carriers also provide toll-free services under their own company prefixes such as "0077" (these

prefixes are also used for other tolled services, though).In South Korea, toll-free numbers are prefixed with "080" (not to be confused with "060" or "070", which are used for pay-per-call/pay-per-

minute information services or digital home phone services). It is to be noted that not all numbers with the "080" prefix are toll-free when calledfrom a mobile phone.

In Latvia the prefix 8000-xx-xx is used for toll-free services. They are toll-free only when dialed from landlines, and charged the same as a land

line when dialed from cell phones.In Malaysia the prefix is 1800-xxxxxx. Free if calling from a land-line and VoIP only. Calling from mobile phone will be considered a local call,

with varying charges depending on the mobile network providers.In Mexico the prefix is 01-800.

In Nepal the prefix is 1660-01-XXXXX.

In New Zealand, both "0800" or "0508" prefixes are referred to variously and interchangeably as "free phone" or "toll-free". Originally these "Oh-eight-hundred" numbers were provided by Telecom NZ and "0508" by rival company Clear (now TelstraClear), although now both numbers can

be provided by either company. Some older toll bar services designed to restrict toll calls (including long distance or calls to mobile phones) willalso block calls to these free phone numbers, although this has become less common since the mid-1990s. A limited number of companies utilizing

toll-free numbers will not accept calls from mobile phones. Some other free phone services exist, such as "*555" ("star five five five"), which canbe dialled from cellular phones to report traffic conditions and incidents of dangerous driving.

In the Netherlands, the prefix "0800" is used for toll-free numbers. Calling 0800 numbers from fixed- and mobile phones is free by law. UIFN's

"00800" are generally free from fixed lines and charged for the air-time from mobile phones. Access of UIFN is not enforced by law, causingcertain phone providers to not honor the standard.

In Norway most telephone-numbers have eight digits (some exceptions). The toll-free numbers all begin with "800" followed by five further digits.In Pakistan,toll-free numbers have the following format "0800-xxxxx".

In Paraguay, the prefix "0800" is used for toll-free numbers, followed by 6 digits.In the Philippines, the prefix for toll-free numbers is "1800" followed by either one, two, or four digits (examples include 8, 10, and 1888)

followed by either a four- or seven-digit phone number. However, there are restrictions. Toll-free numbers are only limited to the telephone

network where the toll-free number is currently being handled. So subscribers of a different telephone network company will not be able to call thetoll-free number handled by a different telephone network. International toll-free numbers can only be accessed if the calling party is a subscriber

of PLDT.In Poland, toll-free numbers have the following format "800 xxx xxx". There are also Split-Charge numbers "801 uxx xxx" (caller's cost depends

on the digit u) and Universal Numbers "804 uxx xxx", where the caller is automatically connected to the nearest office (are toll-free if u=3).In Portugal, the prefix is "800" so the 9-digit number is "800 xxx xxx". It is referred as "Chamada Gratuita" (Free Call) or as "Número Verde"

(Green Number).

In Qatar, toll-free numbers have the following format "800 xxxx".[21]

In Romania, toll-free numbers have the following format "0800 xxx xxx". The service is referred to as "Număr Verde".

In Russia, the prefix is "8" "800", followed by 7 digits (8-800-XXX-XX-XX).

In Serbia, the prefix "0-800" followed by a 6 or 7 digit number is usedIn Singapore, the prefix "1800" followed by a 7 digit number is used. Calling from a mobile phone network will be considered as a local call and

charges varies among service providers.In Slovakia, the toll-free prefix is "0800", followed by six digits. The local rate prefix is "0850".

In Slovenia, the prefix "080" is used for toll-free numbers, followed by four more digits.In South Africa, the prefix "0800", followed by 6 digits is used. It is referred to as a "toll-free" or "0800" number (Afrikaans: tol-vrye).

In Spain, the "900XXXXXX" or "800XXXXXX" numbers are always toll-free (800 numbers are not usually used), "909XXXXXX" is used for

dial-up Internet service and toll-free dialup Internet service (under subscription). Also "1002", "1004", "14XX", "15XX" and "16XX" are free andare used for the telecommunication providers call centers.

In Sweden, the prefix is "020" or "0200" for toll-free numbers. (Additionally, 0800 is reserved for future use.) These numbers are unreachablefrom other countries.

In Switzerland, the toll-free prefix is 0800; previously it was 155. These numbers are called « grüne Nummer / numéro vert / numero verde »(green number).

In Taiwan, the toll-free prefix is 0800 or 0809.

In Thailand, Call Free, Free Call, Toll-Free, or Free Phone,the prefix used is "1800"xxxxxx. Calls are free for all fixed line calls. Mobile carriersAIS and CAT (60+%of Thailand's subscribers) offer 1-800 service for cell phones. At present DTAC and True mobile providers do not,

however it is expected they will offer the 1-800 service for subscribers by late 2009.In Turkey, the prefix for toll-free numbers is "0800".

In the UK, Freephone numbers are usually only free when calling from a landline. All 0500 numbers have 9 digits, 0808 numbers have 10 digitsand 0800 numbers have 7, 9 or 10 digits after the "0" trunk prefix.

In Ukraine, toll-free numbers have "0" "800" and 6 digits after, i.e. 0 800 123456. Before October 2009 "8" "800" prefix was used.

In Vietnam, the prefix "1800" followed by a series of numbers, usually from 4 to 9 digits. All "1800" numbers are free of charge, but some of themcannot be dialed from all telephones.

See also

Collect call

SMS/800

900 numberZenith number

FreepostAction point name

Mobile dial code

References

1. ^ Fallon, Sean (2009-02-17). "TrapCall Displays Blocked Numbers on Your Caller ID" (http://gizmodo.com/5155206/trapcall-displays-blocked-numbers-on-your-caller-id%20See%20Gizmodo). Gizmodo. Retrieved 2012-07-27.

2. ^ BT Plc. "Events in Telecommunications History (1960)" (http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/BTsHistory/1912to1968/1960.htm). BT Archives. BT Group.Retrieved 2009-05-11.

3. ^ Weber, Roy P. "Data base communication call processing method" (http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT4191860). "US patent 4191860. FiledJul 13, 1978. Issued Mar 4, 1980"

4. ^ BT Plc. "Events in Telecommunications History: 1985" (http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/BTsHistory/1984onwards/1985.htm). BT Archives. BT Group.Retrieved 2011-08-23.

5. ^ "Policy and Legislation: Numbering: Numbering Plan" (http://www.dbcde.gov.au/policy_and_legislation/numbering/numbering_plan). AustralianGovernment Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2009-06-23.

6. ^ "smartnumbers" (http://www.smartnumbers.com.au). The Australian Communications and Media Authority. Retrieved 2012-04-25.

7. ^ "Annual numbering charges" (http://www.acma.gov.au/web/STANDARD//pc%3DPC_2467). ACMA.

8. ^ "Auctioned" (http://www.smartnumbers.com.au/smartnumbers/action/viewHome). ACMA.

9. ^ giffgaff. "giffgaff prices: UK tariffs" (http://giffgaff.com/index/pricing). giffgaff. Retrieved 2010-10-10.

10. ^ Vodafone (2010-10-28). "Free-to-caller charity numbers" (http://www.vodafone.co.uk/cs/groups/public/documents/webcontent/vftst004274.pdf)(PDF). Vodafone Limited. Retrieved 2012-12-12.

11. ^ O2. "Free numbers" (http://www.o2.co.uk/support/generalhelp/howdoi/freenumbers). Telefónica UK Limited. Retrieved 2012-12-12.

12. ^ Virgin. "Freephone numbers and Charity Helplines" (http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/genericContent.do?contentId=freephone.charities.helplines.howdoi.sm117). Virgin Mobile Telecoms Ltd. Retrieved 2012-12-12.

13. ^ T-Mobile (2012-01-30). "Free to Call Helpline Services" (http://support.t-mobile.co.uk/library/TMOBILE/Billing%20and%20topping%20up/Price%20plan%20brochures/Free%20to%20call%20helplines/v1/Free%20to%20Call%20Helpline%20Services.pdf) (PDF). Everything Everywhere Limited. Retrieved 2012-12-12.

14. ^ Orange. "Free Charity Numbers" (http://studio.orange.co.uk/charity). Orange (UK). Retrieved 2012-12-12.

15. ^ DWP (2010-01-15). "Free mobile calls for benefit claimants starting from 18 January 2010" (http://www.dwp.gov.uk/previous-administration-news/press-releases/2010/january-2010/dwp007-150110.shtml). Department for Work and Pensions. Retrieved 2012-12-12.

16. ^ Orange (2011-02-01). "Free numbers of Department of Work and Pensions" (http://orange.co.uk/dwp/). Orange (UK). Retrieved 2012-12-12.

17. ^ "UIFN" (http://www.itu.int/online/uifn/uin.countries.sh?uin_type=UIFN). International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved 2013-01-11.

18. ^ "Toll-free lines - Green Line - 800" (http://www.o2.cz/podnikatel/en/toll-free-lines/88638-zelena_linka.html). O2 Czech Republic. Retrieved 2011-07-21.

19. ^ "Number Plan, Hong Kong" (http://www.ofta.gov.hk/en/numbering/no_plan/2009/200903.pdf) (PDF). Ofta, Hong Kong. 2009.

20. ^ "Numbering plan for Ireland" (http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg0802.pdf) (PDF). ComReg Ireland.

21. ^ "National Toll Free 800 Service" (http://www.qtel.qa/en/DOMESTIC_TOLLFREE_TEXT). QTel Qatar.

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Categories: Area codes in the United States Telephone numbers

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