An older telephone billing arrangement where a caller pays for a connection to a specific telephone number, rather than requesting a specific person. Billing begins the moment the receiving phone goes off-hook. Direct distance dialing largely replaced the need for operator assistance in making these connections.
Heard on the job
I placed a station-to-station call to the main office since anyone at the desk could give me the dispatch number.
Do not mix it up with
- Person-to-person: Station-to-station bills as soon as anyone answers the phone, while person-to-person only bills if the requested individual speaks.
Related terms
Person-to-person
An operator-assisted telephone call where billing only begins if a specifically named individual answers.
Trunk call
A historic long-distance telephone call routed through major intercity exchanges.
DDD
Direct distance dialing allows callers to route long-distance calls without an operator.