What Was It Called?

[cabinetman]

Back in the 70's, and there may still be, an acronym for a phone line that was paid for to be for toll calls (long distance). The service offered special rates.
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[rcp612]

Are you referring to the Watts lines?

[leehljp]

Are you referring to the Watts lines?

WOW, been a long time since I heard that word. Seems like it was

Wide Areas Telephone Service predecessor to "800" service.

[germdoc]

WATS, WATS, WATS...

Very familiar with them through hospitals where I worked and the military.

That was back in the day when long-distance calls were EXPENSIVE.

I spent 3 months in Cuba courtesy of Uncle Sam in 1994 and ran up $1000 in phone bills. By contrast, now I talk to my daughter in Australia once a week or so for 30 min. at a time and spend literally pennies a call on Skype.

[cabinetman]

Are you referring to the Watts lines?

Thanks for remembering. I remember using that service and recently talked with a friend and we couldn't remember what it was called. Not remembering can play havoc on the brain. IYKWIM
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[Uncle Cracker]

Not remembering can play havoc on the brain.

Not remembering what?

[dbhost]

Cell phones, and VOIP have done a LOT to bring long distance calling into the reasonable realm... My FIL talks to his brother in Guadalajara on an international calling plan on AT&T Mobile. (He's on our cell plan). We pay an extra $10.00 / month to get him $.10 /minute or so international. I wish they were tech savvy enough to use Skype...

[rcp612]

WOW, been a long time since I heard that word. Seems like it was

Wide Areas Telephone Service predecessor to "800" service.

Sorry to say, I remember when that service started but, that's about all I remember nowadays. Useless information.
Now, what were we talking about??

[Tamarack]

Several years ago my wife and I had a little business that needed inbound calls to be free to the caller, and we set up an inbound (only) 800 number, the number through ATT was free and the expense was only four or five cents a minute. That service is probably still available.

Paul

[L. D. Jeffries]

Yeah, years ago I was working for the Danish government in Greenland on an AF shared location and used to call the States all the time using a WATTS line. About the only way could afford weekly calls, sure brings back memories.