Wide Area Telephone Service
Encyclopedia
In U.S. telecommunication
s, a Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) is a long distance service offering for customer dial-type telecommunications between a given customer [user] station and stations within specified geographic rate areas employing a single telephone line
between the customer user location and the serving central office. Each access line may be arranged for either outward (OUT-WATS) or inward (IN-WATS) service, or both.
Offerings for fixed-rate inter-LATA
and intra-LATA services are measured by zones and hours.
In Outbound WATS the country is defined by Bands 0 through 5. Band zero is intrastate calling and bands 1 through 5 are interstate calls that are progressively further from the originating number. Historically the higher band number carries a higher price per month or per minute. These lines can be used for outbound long distance only; not local. With long distance rates at historic lows, using regular business lines, OUTWATS service became obsolete late in the 20th century.
With "inward WATS", subscribers are issued a toll-free telephone number
, typically beginning with a designated toll-free area code. INWATS service was introduced by AT&T
in 1967 to reduce time spent by operators processing toll-collect call
s for businesses. The first inward WATS area code issued was 800, with 888, 877, and 866 area codes being planned and implemented in the 1990s, The 855 code was implemented in late 2010, and 844, 833 and 822 reserved for future expansion. Telephone users within a designated area may call an inward WATS telephone number without having to pay a toll charge—the recipient pays for the calls at a flat rate or other predetermined rate. Growth of inward WATS exploded in the 1980s as technology allowed companies to build business with nationwide toll-free 800 numbers which could ring at multiple call centers. They are commonly used with vanity numbers.
"Inward WATS" service is available with Automatic Number Identification
(ANI), which could be described as an older and more sophisticated form of Caller ID
.
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s, a Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) is a long distance service offering for customer dial-type telecommunications between a given customer [user] station and stations within specified geographic rate areas employing a single telephone line
Telephone line
A telephone line or telephone circuit is a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system...
between the customer user location and the serving central office. Each access line may be arranged for either outward (OUT-WATS) or inward (IN-WATS) service, or both.
Offerings for fixed-rate inter-LATA
Local access and transport area
Local access and transport area is a term used in U.S. telecommunications regulation. It represents a geographical area of the United States under the terms of the that precipitated the breakup of the original AT&T into the "Baby Bells" or created since that time for wireline...
and intra-LATA services are measured by zones and hours.
In Outbound WATS the country is defined by Bands 0 through 5. Band zero is intrastate calling and bands 1 through 5 are interstate calls that are progressively further from the originating number. Historically the higher band number carries a higher price per month or per minute. These lines can be used for outbound long distance only; not local. With long distance rates at historic lows, using regular business lines, OUTWATS service became obsolete late in the 20th century.
With "inward WATS", subscribers are issued a toll-free telephone number
Toll-free telephone number
A toll-free, Freecall, Freephone, 800, 0800 or 1-800 number is a special telephone number which is free to the calling party, and instead the telephone carrier charges the called party the cost of the call...
, typically beginning with a designated toll-free area code. INWATS service was introduced by AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
in 1967 to reduce time spent by operators processing toll-collect call
Collect call
A collect call in the USA and Canada or reverse charge call in the UK and other countries is a telephone call in which the calling party wants to place a call at the called party's expense...
s for businesses. The first inward WATS area code issued was 800, with 888, 877, and 866 area codes being planned and implemented in the 1990s, The 855 code was implemented in late 2010, and 844, 833 and 822 reserved for future expansion. Telephone users within a designated area may call an inward WATS telephone number without having to pay a toll charge—the recipient pays for the calls at a flat rate or other predetermined rate. Growth of inward WATS exploded in the 1980s as technology allowed companies to build business with nationwide toll-free 800 numbers which could ring at multiple call centers. They are commonly used with vanity numbers.
"Inward WATS" service is available with Automatic Number Identification
Automatic number identification
Automatic number identification is a feature of telephony intelligent network services that permits subscribers to display or capture the billing telephone number of a calling party. In the United States it is part of Inward Wide Area Telephone Service . ANI service was created by AT&T for...
(ANI), which could be described as an older and more sophisticated form of Caller ID
Caller ID
Caller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
.