General:
The standard American telephone number is ten digits, such as (555) 555-1234. The first three digits are the "area code," which sometimes must be dialed even when making a local call. Tradition is to give a caller a "local" phone number using only the 7 digit number without the area code; don't hesitate to ask for the area code ("uh, that's in area code....?") if you'll be calling from another city or are using a cellular phone purchased in a different location. If you are calling a number outside the originating area code, you generally need to dial "1" before the ten-digit number. International calls are initiated by dialing "011", followed by the country code and phone number. Hotel and business phone systems have their own specific dialing requirements.
Some numbers are reserved or are identify a special use or purpose:- 911 is the standardized number for emergency services (fire, police, ambulance). You can normally call 911 for free from any phone including pay phones (coins aren't necessary, just key in 911), and unactivated cellular phones.
- 411 is used for telephone directory assistance, fees are now almost universally charged for calling 411. As an alternative advertising-sponsored free directory assistance is available from a several providers including Free-411 ((800) 373-3411) and Google ((800) 466-4411), typically after providing the City and business you're looking for you'll have to listen to a short recorded advertisement before being given your number.
- "800" numbers (including 888, 877, and 866) are "toll free" in that the user doesn't incur long distance phone charges for calling the number. Callers should be aware that hotels and motels often charge fees for calling an 800 number and callers using cellular phones are charged for the "airtime" for the call following the same rate schedule as any other call. Callers to 800 numbers should also be aware that their telephone number is automatically being provided to the business paying for the 800 number even if the caller is blocking their caller ID and phone number.
- "900" numbers are charging callers either by the call or by the minute at a rate established by the company setting up the service. Legally, companies setting up 900 numbers are required to advise callers of the fee or per minute rate for their call at the start of the phone call, with the caller being given the opportunity to end the call before the billing starts. Although originally intended as a method for companies to provide for-fee informational services (weather, travel information, etc.) the use of 900 numbers has largely degenerated to "adult" services which may be viewed to be of questionable content; with this application the degree that disclosures about call costs are being given has been questioned.
Cellular Phones:
Cellphone service is very good in urban and suburban area, as well as along most stretches of moderately to heavily used highways. Service may be more limited in rural and remote areas and may not be available in some or all portions of national parks and similar natural attractions. There are four nationwide cellular service providers (in alphabetical order), AT&T (formerly Cingular), Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon, as well as several regional providers. There are also an increasing number of "prepaid" providers who purchase network access from a national or regional provider and resell it to a customer, normally complete with a cellphone, with airtime being charged in advance on either a flat-rate monthly basis, or by the minute from a prepaid block of minutes. If traveling to multiple areas in the US, one item to consider before purchasing a prepaid phone is whether the phone can be used in other parts of the country; it's not uncommon for low-priced prepaid phones to only function in one specific area or region where the provider has contracted for cellular network access.
US cellphone service is split between two network protocols, with Sprint/Nextel and Verizon using CMDA and AT&T and T-Mobile using for what many other parts of the world is the more familiar GSM and the associated SIM "chips". GSM phone users should be aware, however that the US and other North American countries (Canada and Mexico) use different frequency bands, 800/850 MHz and 1900 MHz, for cellular communication than Europe and some other regions of the world where the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands are used. Users of "Quad-Band" cellphones will have no problems with their equipment whereas users of older "Tri-Band" phones may experience more problems with dead areas and signal dropouts (Europe-only phones also exist and naturally won't function at all in the US). Both AT&T (800/850 and/or 1900 MHz service, depending on the market) and T-Mobile (1900 MHz only) offer SIMs bundled with a prepaid calling plan if you wish to bring your GSM phone along from home.
If you are considering purchasing a GSM cellphone in the US for later use at home, you should verify that the phone is "unlocked". US cellular service providers frequently offer "locked" phones which only function with their networks, for a significant discount or even free with a two-year service contract. "Locks", which are code segments embedded into the cellphone's firmware, can be disabled using the software or a combination of software plus a special cable or other hardware but this entails additional expense or locating somebody knowledgable in the process.
Calling Cards:
Calling cards, which can be used for making long-distance or international calls at considerably lower rates than charged by a hotel, cellular phone company, or residential telephone service provider are commonly available from convenience, drug, or liquor stores as well as some gas stations. Such cards are also available at some hotels, convention centers, and airports although some caution should be exercised as some of this latter group of cards may only function with telephones at the facility. Finally international calling cards with highly discounted rates for calling a specific country (Mexico, the Philipines, India, etc.) or region (South America, Europe, etc.) can often be found in specialty markets or ethnic grocery stores catering to people from the country.
In all cases the cards function in the same general fashion, you dial the access number listed on the card (which can be a local phone number or 800 number), key in the card's PIN number (often concealed with a rub-off metallic covering to prevent somebody in the handling chain from stealing the PIN and using the card's allotment of minutes), and then dial the desired phone number.