Free cellular phone numbers

Until now, toll-free calls from cellular phones to "800" numbers were subject to airtime charges. Seattle-based Toll Free Cellular will eliminate airtime charges for calls to "800" numbers with its service. The company signed agreements with AT&T Wireless Services and U S West NewVector Group to offer the service in the Seattle-Tacoma market.

"Judging by the positive feedback our business plan is receiving from both cellular carriers and businesses, there is a consensus that the time for free cellular calling is long overdue," said John Clark, president and founder of Toll Free Cellular.

Callers dial #-800 rather than 1-800 to avoid airtime charges.

The service could prove profitable for carriers and businesses alike based on research conducted by Toll Free Cellular. "Our research finds that 80 percent of cellular telephone users say that the availability of a #800 number will influence their brand choice when purchasing a product or service," said Mark Lazar, CEO of Toll Free Cellular. Research also found that subscribers would make significantly more calls with their cellular phones if airtime charge-free calling was widely available, Lazar said.

The agreement with U S West was for all of its 35 markets, but the Seattle area will be the first to receive the service. Toll Free Cellular currently is negotiating with every major cellular carrier in the United States, with the hope of expanding across the nation by the end of the year, the company said.