Automatic number identification (ANI) is a feature of telephony intelligent network services that permits subscribers to display or capture the billing telephone number of a calling party. In the United States it is part of Inward Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS). ANI service was created by AT&T Corporation for internal long distance billing purposes, and is not related to newer caller ID services. Inward WATS is purchased by customers so that other telephone users (for example, prospective customers) can call the number toll free. The customer is issued a distinctive toll-free telephone number beginning with a special area code such as 800, or more recently, 888, 877, 866, or 855. Subscribers to these numbers are typically called Inward WATS subscribers.
ANI has two components, information digits, which identify the class of service, and the calling party billing telephone number.
ANI is also used to describe the functions of two-way radio selective calling that identify the transmitting user.
Read more about Automatic Number Identification: Privacy, Automatic Number Announcement, DNIS, Similar Services
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