Operators ring in new tones; ring-back tones may be the next big fad for mobile services. But with network integration and customer education issues, some carriers may ask it to call back later.(Networks)

Wireless Week, November, 2003 by Brown, Karen

In the near future, when you call a friend, you may not hear a typical ring. But it won't be a symptom of a network service outage. Rather, you may hear Vanessa Carlton belting out "1000 Miles" or some other music clip as part of a custom ring-back service. Already gaining ground in Asian markets, the ring-back attribute takes the ringtone feature and flips it 180 degrees, with callers hearing music or audio instead of a dial tone as they wait for the receiver to answer.

But such services do require complex network integration and far more market education that may cause U.S. carriers to hesitate. The first operator to jump into the ring-back service was Korean carrier SK Telecom, and to say it was a success is a mild understatement. The service...