New 855 Prefix & Short History of Toll-Free Numbers

February 25, 2011

Elizabeth Supica, VP

I just recently acquired a toll-free number that rings directly to my desk.   TelCon Associates owns quite a few toll-free numbers, most of which are directed to individuals within our auditing and telemanagement departments.  Having dedicated toll-free numbers makes it easy for clients to call in, get directly to someone’s desk, and avoid long distance fees.

I was surprised when I learned that my new toll-free number would start with 855.  855?  I had never heard of that one. I know that 800, and 888 numbers are fairly tough to come by, but what about 877 and 866?  Have they been exhausted already?

I decided to do a little research.  This is what I found…

The total number of 800, 888, 877, & 866 numbers available total roughly 31 million.  Current estimations, however, calculate that there are only about 19 million toll-free numbers currently being used.

Here is the general breakdown:

• 6.5 million  800 numbers
• 5 million     888 numbers
• 4.9 million  877 numbers
• 3.1 million  866 numbers

Each area code has 7.7 million available number combinations.  Because phone numbers are 7 digits, you would think that there would be 10 million combinations (8XX-000-0000 to 8XX-999-9999).  This is not the case.  Some prefixes are blocked by the FCC, such as 800-911-XXXX and 800-555-XXXX.

The FCC has blocked 2.3 million prefixes from being issued in each one of the toll-free area codes.  This helps avoid confusion with certain prefixes.

A Short History of Toll-Free Numbers

It seems toll-free numbers have been “going like hotcakes” since they were first introduced. Many of us remember a time not so long ago where “800″ numbers were the only kid on the block.   The popularity of toll-free 800 numbers prompted the FCC to expand its line of them.

888 numbers were introduced in 1996 and more were soon to follow.

877 was introduced in 1998, and 866 numbers were later added in 1999.  Keep in mind that any toll-free number works exactly the same any other.  In spite of that fact, however, 800 and 888 numbers still are King and Queen in the toll-free world from a marketing standpoint.

In October of 2010, 855 toll-free numbers were introduced.  I would imagine that in a few short years there will be a need for more prefixes.  Until then, I’m quite happy with my new 855 number.

If you need to reach me  – toll-free of course – call me at 1-855-864-1571.

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