| Prepaid telecom (often in the form of "dial-around" in | | | | place long distance calls, their account is debited |
| the US) is growing dramatically and is now even | | | | according to the current per-minute rate for US or |
| available in Canada. Most customers in the United | | | | international calls. There is no per month account |
| States use credit cards to purchase calling time which | | | | maintenance fee or setup fee. |
| provides international long distance phone service to all | | | | The U.S. Census Bureau report of 2004 revealed that |
| countries. | | | | the foreign-born population in the U.S. exceeded 28.4 |
| It is estimated that almost 40% of international phone | | | | million in 2000, growing more than 25% over the |
| calls from the U.S. are placed using prepaid calling | | | | previous decade to represent more than 10% of the |
| services today. Most prepaid long distance gives | | | | total U.S. population. Hispanics and Chinese-Americans |
| customers highly efficient web access to monitor calls | | | | represent two of the largest market opportunities. In |
| and cost in real time. Perhaps this is why the rapidly | | | | January 2004 there were approximately 12.4 million |
| growing population of foreign-born knowledge workers | | | | Hispanic Internet users, a market segment that was |
| who have credit and use the Internet to purchase | | | | growing by 15 to 20% annually, according to a study |
| goods and services are signing up for this more | | | | by independent research firm Comscore Networks. |
| modern service option. | | | | The Chinese American community, numbered 2.7 |
| Customers select an amount to be charged to their | | | | million in 2000 according to the U.S. Census. Sina.com, |
| credit card and are provided with a toll-free access | | | | the largest provider of online news and entertainment |
| number, account number and Personal Identification | | | | information for Chinese-Americans, estimates that |
| Number (PIN). The PIN is not required for calls made | | | | 57% of Chinese Americans make Internet purchases |
| from registered numbers. Those numbers listed with | | | | regularly. |
| the carriers use automatic identification when you call | | | | This information justifies why this new modern option |
| and you are immediately greeted with a welcome and | | | | useable from home, business and even mobile phones |
| you are ready to call. As customers use the service to | | | | is expanding so broadly. |