Since the government decided to force the industry to allow number switching, carriers have spent more than $1 billion to automate the process.

The carrier spent the next five days at anchor, preparing for another operation.

American carriers combined have spent about $10 billion in the last three years to upgrade their networks.

The carriers often spend more than six months in continuous operations at sea.

At the same time, older carriers have spent billions to expand the capacity of their own systems.

To foster a certain image and increase recognition of their company names, the top carriers in the $50 billion long-distance market spend heavily on advertising.

Large carriers often spend years preparing to enter a new hub and then often build service over a long period.

The carrier spent the rest of the year visiting Australian ports for open inspections by the public.

City and rural carriers typically spend between three and four hours in the office preparing for delivery.

They're up 20 percent - so the big old carriers now spend only 10 times as much on food, not 20 times.