Imagine your customers--in virtually any country--being able to
contact your business with one toll-free number.
That's now a reality, thanks to recent advancements made by
the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
in Geneva. Since June, the ITU, which regulates telecommunications
issues across the globe, has been issuing toll-free numbers
worldwide. It wasn't possible before June because each country
relied on its own toll-free plan. But that's all changed--and
the ITU has finally established a universal toll-free standard,
linking dozens of industrialized nations.
"Today, more than $157 billion is traded annually using
toll-free lines, and that's mostly in the United States,"
says Patricia Sieh of AT&T, one of six U.S. carriers authorized
to apply for the numbers. "The prospects for the growth of
international trade are tremendous."
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AT&T pioneered the concept of toll-free phone service 30
years ago. An impressive 7 million toll-free calls were made that
first year--an ever-growing tally that topped 20 billion in 1996.
Even those figures are sure to climb, however; businesses vying for
a chance to market a single number to their countries of choice are
clamoring for these next-generation toll-free numbers. When the ITU
accepted its first round of applications, more than 20,000 poured
in.
The new numbers are being administered on a first-come,
first-served basis. But don't worry about the ITU running out
any time soon--an eight-digit format, instead of the traditional
seven, ensures millions of additional combinations.
The ITU application fee is about $160; contact AT&T or one
of the other authorized carriers (Cable & Wireless, MCI,
Sprint, USA Global Link or WorldCom) for more information. Once
your application is received, you can expect confirmation of your
new number within three weeks. The ITU requires carriers to make
the number operational within six months of notification.
Some advice for the global-minded: Numbers that spell out words
might not work in other countries if the letters assigned to
foreign keypads don't correspond with yours. Also, registering
a clever English phrase might be lost on overseas customers who
don't speak the language.
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