800 phone numbers - what is going on, exactly?

Question

I'm confused about 800 phone numbers (or 866 numbers, etc.) and was hoping someone could explain it to me.
So, what exactly is 800?
Here's my understanding: If I call my friend whose phone number is 555-5555, and he has the same area code as I do, all I would do is dial 555-5555 into my phone and press send, yes?
However, if his area code was 999, then I would dial 1-999-555-5555. Because the 999 is the area code, and the area code is different for every city or area.
But if I dial 1-800-555-5555, the 800 isn't exactly an area code, is it? Because then every 800 number would have to be in the same place, and I'm pretty sure that's not the case. In commercials and things like that, they say "dial 1-800-555-5555 for more information," or other things like that, but the 800 can't be an area code because not all of those numbers lead to the same city, right?
Now, I understand what the 800 means - it means it's toll free, you don't have to pay to call it.
So if 800 signifies toll free, then where's the area code in the number?
For example, if I wanted to call my friend for free, wouldn't I have to dial 1-800-999-555-5555 (assuming his area code is 999)?

Simply put, here's my question: If the 800 isn't an area code (which I don't think it is), then why don't we have to dial an actual area code? And what exactly is the 800 anyway?

Thank you so much for any help you can give.

Answer 1

800- is just a reserved block of numbers

The actual numbers can be anywhere.



Say you have a store in CA and you want an 800 #. The phone company gives you one, but then transfers all these calls to a phone # in CA. So 1-800-567-7643 actually is mapped to 1-650 - xxxx-xxx



The difference is billing, when you call 1-800 you don't get billed, but the owner of the number is billed.

Answer 2

The 800 system is calles WATS, or Wide Area Telephone System.

Simply the way it works, is when you dial a WATS number, the trunk switch at your local telco recognizes it as such, looks up in its database for the real number, routes the call to that, and their LD/WATS provider bills them for the call.

Answer 3

Most people I know would consider it cheating. I think it is in a way. I personaly wouldnt feel great about my husband doing it, but if I wasnt having sex with him hardly at all and he wanted to call one to masturbate to, I wouldnt leave him over it. If it ran up a HUGE phone bill and/or he wanted to meet the girl he talked to on the line it Woukd be a problem. To me its just a step up from looking at porn, which I dont have a problem with my husband doing. Just curious... do you consider it cheating so much that you want a divorce?