Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS)

Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) is a specialized telecommunication service used primarily by businesses for making long-distance calls over a large geographic area at reduced rates.
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Definition of Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS)

Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS)

Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) is a dedicated telecommunications service provided by telecommunications companies that allows businesses to make and receive long-distance calls within a predefined geographic area at a lower cost. WATS lines are specially designated telephone lines that facilitate this service. There are typically two types of WATS: Inward WATS (INWATS) and Outward WATS (OUTWATS).

  • Inward WATS (INWATS): This allows businesses to receive toll-free calls from a wide geographic area.
  • Outward WATS (OUTWATS): This facilitates making long-distance calls at a reduced rate.

Examples

  1. Call Centers: A company with a nationwide customer service call center uses INWATS to allow customers to call for free from anywhere within a specified area.
  2. Sales Departments: A business’s sales department uses OUTWATS for outbound cold calling campaigns across multiple states at a lower per-call rate than standard long-distance service.
  3. Help Desks: A technical support desk subscribes to INWATS to offer free support to users across a multi-state region.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main benefit of using WATS for a business? WATS lines can significantly reduce long-distance communication costs for businesses that need to make or receive a high volume of calls over a large geographic area.

What is the difference between INWATS and OUTWATS? INWATS allows businesses to receive calls toll-free from a wide area, while OUTWATS is designed for making long-distance calls at reduced rates.

Is WATS still relevant with modern communication technologies? While the use of WATS has declined with the advent of internet-based communication tools, it remains relevant for specific applications where landline telephony is still critical.

Does WATS cover international calls? Typically, WATS is designed for national long-distance calling; however, some service providers may offer international WATS in specific service packages.

  • Toll-Free Number: A telephone number that allows the caller to reach the business without incurring any long-distance charges.
  • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): A technology that allows for voice communication and multimedia sessions over the Internet.
  • Telecommunication: The transmission of information over significant distances to communicate.
  • PBX (Private Branch Exchange): A private telephone network used within a company or organization.

Online References

Suggested Books for Further Studies

  1. “Telecommunications Essentials: The Complete Global Source” by Lillian Goleniewski
  2. “The Communications Handbook” edited by Jerry D. Gibson
  3. “Introduction to Telecommunications Network Engineering” by Tarmo Anttalainen
  4. “Telecommunication Networks: Protocols, Modeling and Analysis” by Mischa Schwartz

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