ACA fixed a November 2000 implementation date for the provision of local rate and freephone number portability.
[2] Previously, rival carriers used differing area codes, 0800 for BT Freefone and 0500 for Cable & Wireless Freecall numbers.
[3] Customers paid a flat-rate monthly service fee for large-volume interstate long-distance over a wide area.
The system was redesigned in 1981 to use a database, the SMS/800 service management system, which could direct any toll-free number to any destination based on various conditions; number prefixes remained tied to specific carriers until a RespOrg (responsible organization) structure was introduced in 1993 (US) and 1994 (Canada) to allow subscribers to change providers by providing a Letter of Authorization (LOA) on company letterhead to their new provider authorizing a number to be moved.
[4] TNAS Limited, a joint venture company owned by Telecom and Vodafone, operates the Toll Free Number Portability system.