4-1-1
Encyclopedia
4-1-1 is the telephone
number for local directory assistance
in the United States
and Canada
. One exception is the Pacific Northwest, which used 1-1-3 until the mid-1980s. Until the early 1980s, 4-1-1 calls were free in most states.
4-1-1 has also been used for long-distance directory assistance in most areas in the United States and all of Canada. The traditional long-distance directory assistance number is 1-area code-555-1212.
4-1-1 is also commonly referred to as "D.A.", "Directory Assistance", or "Information". Prior to the introduction of Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) in the 1950s, which required dialing "1" to initiate a DDD call, the number for "Information" was 1-1-3 ("Repair" was 1-1-4). All existing local numbers beginning with 1 had to be changed, so "Information" and "Repair" (and others) changed to 411 and 611, respectively. Outside North America, "1-1-N" numbers are still in use, for these and other services.
Approximately 6 billion calls are made to 4-1-1 within the United States every year.
The telephone companies also have another DA rate class for call completion called DACC. DACC adds another $.50 to $1.00 on top of the cost of a DA call.
or subsequent Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs).
Since the 1984 Bell System divestiture
, the RBOCs in the United States have priced 4-1-1 use higher to an average of $1.25 USD per call, compared to $0.50 CAD
in most of Canada, providing opportunities for competing services in the United States, including the free 1-800-BING-411 and ad-sponsored 1-800-FREE-411
.
or a wireless phone user to call 411 and be connected to the wireless listing of a person who has chosen to participate in the service. Carriers who make up the industry LLC creating the service include Alltel
(now absorbed by Verizon Wireless
), AT&T, Sprint Nextel
and T-Mobile
.
Some mobile carriers have tended to charge a lot for directory assistance calls placed to 411. Given this, competitive carriers have started to providing free service as long as the customer will listen to an ad played over the phone before receiving his or her requested number (e.g. 1-800-FREE-411
)
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
number for local directory assistance
Directory assistance
In telecommunications, directory assistance or directory enquiries is a phone service used to find out a specific telephone number and/or address of a residence, business, or government entity.-Technology:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. One exception is the Pacific Northwest, which used 1-1-3 until the mid-1980s. Until the early 1980s, 4-1-1 calls were free in most states.
4-1-1 has also been used for long-distance directory assistance in most areas in the United States and all of Canada. The traditional long-distance directory assistance number is 1-area code-555-1212.
4-1-1 is also commonly referred to as "D.A.", "Directory Assistance", or "Information". Prior to the introduction of Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) in the 1950s, which required dialing "1" to initiate a DDD call, the number for "Information" was 1-1-3 ("Repair" was 1-1-4). All existing local numbers beginning with 1 had to be changed, so "Information" and "Repair" (and others) changed to 411 and 611, respectively. Outside North America, "1-1-N" numbers are still in use, for these and other services.
Approximately 6 billion calls are made to 4-1-1 within the United States every year.
Landline telephone companies
- 411 LDA: local directory assistance. This is where callers can dial 411 and request the Operator to search for a listing in a group of area codes "LATA" local to him or her. For example, the caller lives in area code 630 (Oak Brook, IllinoisOak Brook, IllinoisOak Brook is a village in DuPage and Cook Counties, in Illinois. The population was 8,702 at the 2000 census. A suburb of Chicago, it is the headquarters of McDonald's and Lions Clubs International.-History:...
) and request a listing for a business in area code 312 (Chicago, Illinois). In this case AT&T Illinois bills the call at $1.25 plus taxes. - 411 NDA: national directory assistance. This is where callers can dial 411 and request the Operator to search for a listing in an area code not local to him or her. For example, the caller lives in area code 630 (Oak Brook, Illinois) and request a listing for a business in area code 213 (Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
). In this case AT&T Illinois bills the call at $1.99 plus taxes. - 1 (AC)-555-1212, national directory assistance. This example assumes the caller are in Oak Brook, Illinois (AC 630) and you have MCI as his or her long-distance carrier. For example, the caller is looking for a listing in Los Angeles, California (AC 213) and dial 213-555-1212. In this case MCI bills the call at $3.49 plus taxes.
The telephone companies also have another DA rate class for call completion called DACC. DACC adds another $.50 to $1.00 on top of the cost of a DA call.
Landline telephone directory assistance
4-1-1 landline service has been historically provided by local telephone companies, including those of the former Bell SystemBell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
or subsequent Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs).
Since the 1984 Bell System divestiture
Bell System divestiture
The Bell System divestiture, or the breakup of AT&T, was initiated by the filing in 1974 by the U.S. Department of Justice of an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The case, United States v...
, the RBOCs in the United States have priced 4-1-1 use higher to an average of $1.25 USD per call, compared to $0.50 CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
in most of Canada, providing opportunities for competing services in the United States, including the free 1-800-BING-411 and ad-sponsored 1-800-FREE-411
1-800-FREE-411
1-800-FREE-411 is an American service offering advertising supported directory assistance operated by Marchex.-Service:Callers dial 1-800/888/866-FREE411 from any phone in the United States to use the toll-free service. Sponsors cover part of the service cost by playing advertising messages during...
.
Wireless telephone directory
In addition to the local and long distance directory services, there is also consumer-choice and privacy-protected "Wireless 411 Service". As specified by the industry, the service will give consumers the choice of including their wireless phone numbers in voice 411. Consumers who choose to opt-in will not have their information disclosed for print, online directories, lists, or telemarketing firms. The service will allow any landlineLandline
A landline was originally an overland telegraph wire, as opposed to an undersea cable. Currently, landline refers to a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre, as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, where transmission is via radio waves...
or a wireless phone user to call 411 and be connected to the wireless listing of a person who has chosen to participate in the service. Carriers who make up the industry LLC creating the service include Alltel
Alltel
Alltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
(now absorbed by Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
), AT&T, Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
and T-Mobile
T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
.
Some mobile carriers have tended to charge a lot for directory assistance calls placed to 411. Given this, competitive carriers have started to providing free service as long as the customer will listen to an ad played over the phone before receiving his or her requested number (e.g. 1-800-FREE-411
1-800-FREE-411
1-800-FREE-411 is an American service offering advertising supported directory assistance operated by Marchex.-Service:Callers dial 1-800/888/866-FREE411 from any phone in the United States to use the toll-free service. Sponsors cover part of the service cost by playing advertising messages during...
)
See also
- 1-800-FREE-4111-800-FREE-4111-800-FREE-411 is an American service offering advertising supported directory assistance operated by Marchex.-Service:Callers dial 1-800/888/866-FREE411 from any phone in the United States to use the toll-free service. Sponsors cover part of the service cost by playing advertising messages during...
- 800-The-Info800-The-Info800-The-Info was a toll-free directory assistance and information service provided in the United States by Verizon. 800-The-Info was subsidized by businesses that purchase advertising space on the service. Callers did not pay for the service, but had to listen to ads...
- Bing Mobile
- GOOG-411GOOG-411GOOG-411 was a telephone service launched by Google in 2007, that provided a speech-recognition-based business directory search, and placed a call to the resulting number in the United States or Canada. The service was accessible via a toll-free telephone number...
- Speech recognitionSpeech recognitionSpeech recognition converts spoken words to text. The term "voice recognition" is sometimes used to refer to recognition systems that must be trained to a particular speaker—as is the case for most desktop recognition software...
- Tellme NetworksTellme NetworksTellme. Networks, Inc. is a company founded in 1999 by Mike McCue and Angus Davis, based out of Mountain View, California, in the United States, that specializes in telephone-based applications....