Telephone Terminology

Rates long distance phone companies charge for calls made during regular business hours, usually 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday.

The act of restoring compressed data back to its original size and form.

Your regular Direct Dial carrier. Calling 1-700-555-4141 will identify your default carrier.

Reduction and simplification of the regulations governing a market. The U.S. and the U.K. were pioneers in telecom liberalization and deregulation.

Including details of phone charges on a monthly bill.

Dial Around service refers to the services provided to you through access codes and numbers which allow you to bypass your Primary Interexchange Carrier. These may be 10-10-XXX, toll free access numbers, and/or calling cards. Dial around normally refers to services accessed from your primary telephone.

Also called 10-10 numbers. An access code that allows you to use a long distance service provider other than the one you subscribe to. The dialing format is 10-10-XXX+1+area code+phone number. They are commonly referred to as dial-around numbers because you use the access code to bypass or "dial around" your long distance carrier.

This is the service you receive from your Primary Interexchange Carrier, the long distance company that is automatically accessed when a customer dials 1+ Area Code + Number.

Placing a long distance call without operator assistance.

Operator assistance in obtaining phone numbers for individuals or businesses. (For long distance information, dial the area code of the number you want to call plus 555-1212.) Also called information and 411.

An information service whereby operators assist customers in obtaining the telephone number(s) they wish to call.