Telephone call

A telephone call is a connection over a telephone network between the calling party and the called party. A telephone call may consist of an ordinary voice transmission using a telephone, a data transmission when the calling party and called party are using modems, or a facsimile transmission when the two parties are using fax machines.

Where a telephone call has more than one called party it is referred to as a conference call.

Calls are usually placed through a network (such as the Public Switched Telephone Network) provided by a commercial company. Fees are charged depending on the provider and the distance between the calling and the called parties. In most circumstances, the calling party pays this fee, however, in some circumstances such as a reverse charge or collect call, the called party pays the cost of the call.

Preceding, during, and after a telephone call is placed, certain tones signify the progress and status of the telephone call:

• a dial tone signifying that the call is ready to be placed
• either:
  • a ringing tone signifying that the calling party has yet to answer the telephone
  • an engaged tone or busy signal signifying that the calling party's telephone is being used in a telephone call to another person
• status tones such as STD notification tones (to inform the caller that the telephone call is being trunk dialled at a greater cost to the calling party), minute minder beeps (to inform the caller of the relative duration of the telephone call on calls that are charged on a time basis), and others
• a tone (sometimes the engaged tone) to signify that the called party has hung up.