Dictionary of Business Terms: Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS)
Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS)
access to longdistance telephone lines for commercial use at reduced rates. Callers to an incoming WATS line dial 800 instead of a specific area code and are not charged for the service. Organizations who hold the WATS line are charged for incoming calls; costs of outgoing calls using a WATS line are generally less expensive per call than ordinary long-distance service.
