For a complete history of toll free service, click here.
Price
Toll free service has evolved since its introduction in 1967, with prices continually forced downward by competition, number portability, and excess capacity. We are one of many discount providers, and our prices are predominantly posted on this site.
Quality of Service (QoS)
Is no longer is tied to the amount of money invested in the carriers’ network. (It is often reflected in their pricing, however, as they attempt to recoup those costs.) With excess capacity and complex routing path requirements, carriers exchange what are called Indefeasible Rights of Usage (IRUs) allowing calls to be placed on and through each others’ networks. Therefore QoS is no longer a function of the cost or breadth of the Network, but the ability to manage and control that Network.
Network Operation Center (NOC)
Each carrier supports at least one NOC. This the command center that controls number transport and delivery (and responds to casualty reports when problems arise.) By maintaining direct delivery relationships with seven (7) different carriers, we are in direct communication with seven different NOCs.
Redundancy
Despite the assurances of generally good quality transmission and call completion from any network, problems do arise. For that reason we maintain direct relationships with 3 interexchange carriers (IXCs ) or long distance carriers and 2 digital local competitive exchange (CLEC) carriers. Our switches will automatically take any uncompleted outbound call and move it to another carrier’s trunk to re-dial the number with virtually no call processing delay. Similarly, we can re-route an inbound call to a new destination you provide, often within minutes. While the major carriers do maintain relationships that allow them to use each others’s facilities on a dedicated basis, they do not have the same flexibility to making ad hoc decisions and/or purchase traffic on another network by the minute and for specific destinations. We do.
Streamlining
If a problem arises while you are subscribed to another carrier’s network, you can either call the salesperson or an 800 number on your bill for customer service. That first call will likely result in a representative taking your information and opening a ticket. You are very unlikely to reach the NOC directly, and your problem will be retold a few times before it is addressed. This will cause delays in getting the problem corrected. If you have a problem as our customer, your first report gets relayed directly to the NOC, and action is taken within minutes.
Economy
Each long distance and toll free call incurs a charge by a local carrier to place and/or deliver that call to its final (local telephone number) destination. Each carrier incurs such a charge. Since we are an enhanced services provider, we are not subject to the same rules (and charges) as a carrier. We do not charge taxes on the value we add to the call, and we do not pay local delivery or access charges in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. As a consequence, even when our list price is identical to another provider, there is good chance that the overall costs will be less due to our tax advantages.