Directory assistance
Encyclopedia
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.
software to locate listings quickly.
Most directory assistance systems use automated readback systems to give out the phone number. This frees the directory assistance operator to move on to another caller as soon as the correct listing is located.
Some systems have "store and forward" technology which records "city and state" the caller is requesting and then plays the city and state speech to the operator before they come online and then say "Residential or business listing?" or simply "What listing please?"
Interactive voice response
systems have been added to many directory assistance systems. These complex systems use speech recognition
and recorded speech or speech synthesis
to handle the entire call without live operator intervention.
Most systems recognize location and listing. If recognition confidence is high, the best result is played to the caller. If confidence is low, the caller's request is played back to a live operator, who locates the correct listing.
(covering Canada
and the United States
), directory assistance may be contacted by dialing 4-1-1
(one of the N11 code
s) or to get a listing in a remote or non-local area code, directory assistance is available at 1-area code-555-1212.
However, a 411 landline call will provide local listings as well as nationwide listings and sometimes international listings.
Most telephone companies permit up to two listings per 411 call. All wireless carriers offer nationwide listings with 411, and some offer additional Enhanced Directory Assistance services.
Toll-free directory assistance is provided by AT&T
as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission
. Companies must request to have their toll-free number listed and pay AT&T each time their phone number is released to a Toll-free directory assistance caller. AT&T had applied for discontinuing this service but it remains active.
In the United Kingdom, directory assistance is called directory enquiries. The service is provided by a variety of different companies, reached by dialling 118 plus another three digit number. These companies supply information from the Operator Services Information System (OSIS), which is run by Directory Solutions, a division of BT Wholesale. OSIS accepts updates from telecoms providers seven days a week, and supplies that information to the enquiry companies six days a week. There are currently over 200 providers. Three of these, 118 500 (BT), 118 888 (Conduit) and 118 118
(The Number), have over 90% of the market, mostly due to heavy advertising.
Directory enquiries used to be reached by dialling 192 (domestic numbers) or 153 (foreign), with the service supplied by the telephone company providing the fixed or mobile service to the calling telephone. These numbers were switched off on 24 August 2003 following the introduction of competition to directory enquiries.
A number offering a directory enquiries service allowing people to request to be put through to a mobile phone
number was established in June 2009. 118 800 proved to be controversial, however, when it was revealed that it was making available 15 million mobile numbers that it had bought from market researchers. Its website has been temporarily suspended to deal with technical issues and improve the service. The site was suspended within weeks of its launch so that the company could rengineer the site to enable the large number of ex-directory requests to be handled more efficiently.
Viral emails regarding 118800 are generally thought to be responsible for the deluge of unsubscribe requests. The virals spread panic by alleging that the 118800 service was about to give out phone numbers which would be available to marketers. The 118800 service have maintained that these emails are without substance referring enquirers to their website
where the service is explained. 118800 do not, at any time, release telephone numbers to callers but rather send a message to the mobile phone owner letting them know that the enquirer wishes to be connected to them. The recipient of the call retains the right to accept or refuse the call but either way the caller is never notified of the mobile phone number being contacted.
Telephone number
A telephone number or phone number is a sequence of digits used to call from one telephone line to another in a public switched telephone network. When telephone numbers were invented, they were short — as few as one, two or three digits — and were given orally to a switchboard operator...
and/or address of a residence, business, or government entity.
Technology
Directory assistance systems incorporate a wide range of automation to reduce the cost of human operators. Almost all systems use custom databaseDatabase
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
software to locate listings quickly.
Most directory assistance systems use automated readback systems to give out the phone number. This frees the directory assistance operator to move on to another caller as soon as the correct listing is located.
Some systems have "store and forward" technology which records "city and state" the caller is requesting and then plays the city and state speech to the operator before they come online and then say "Residential or business listing?" or simply "What listing please?"
Interactive voice response
Interactive voice response
Interactive voice response is a technology that allows a computer to interact with humans through the use of voice and DTMF keypad inputs....
systems have been added to many directory assistance systems. These complex systems use speech recognition
Speech recognition
Speech 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...
and recorded speech or speech synthesis
Speech synthesis
Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware...
to handle the entire call without live operator intervention.
Most systems recognize location and listing. If recognition confidence is high, the best result is played to the caller. If confidence is low, the caller's request is played back to a live operator, who locates the correct listing.
North America
In the North American Numbering PlanNorth American Numbering Plan
The North American Numbering Plan is an integrated telephone numbering plan administered by Neustar which encompasses 24 countries and territories, including the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 nations of the Caribbean...
(covering 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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), directory assistance may be contacted by dialing 4-1-1
4-1-1
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....
(one of the N11 code
N11 code
An N11 code or N11 number is a special abbreviated dialing telephone number within the North American Numbering Plan, which allows access to special services. Each of these eight numbers prevents 10,000 telephone numbers from being used...
s) or to get a listing in a remote or non-local area code, directory assistance is available at 1-area code-555-1212.
However, a 411 landline call will provide local listings as well as nationwide listings and sometimes international listings.
Most telephone companies permit up to two listings per 411 call. All wireless carriers offer nationwide listings with 411, and some offer additional Enhanced Directory Assistance services.
Rate classes
U.S. wireline telephone companies classify DA into four rate classes- 411 LDA - Local Directory Assistance. This is where you dial 411 and request the Operator to search for a listing in a group of area codes "LATA" local to you. Example: you live in area code 630 (Oak Brook, IL) and request a listing for a business in area code 312 (Chicago, IL). In this case AT&T Illinois bills the call at $1.25 plus taxes.
- 411 NDA - National Directory Assistance. This is where you dial 411 and request the Operator to search for a listing in an area code not local to you. Example: you live in area code 630 (Oak Brook, IL) and request a listing for a business in area code 213 (Los Angeles, CA). In this case AT&T Illinois bills the call at $1.99 plus taxes.
- 411 (AC)-555-1212 - National Directory Assistance. This example assumes you are in Oak Brook, IL (AC 630) and you have MCI as your Long Distance Carrier. Example: you are looking for a listing in Los Angeles, CA (AC 213) and dial 213-555-1212. In this case MCI bills the call at $3.49 plus taxes.
- AT&T International Directory Assistance calls are $7.95 plus taxes. Dial 00 and ask for the International Directory Assistance Operator. See http://www.consumer.att.com/global/english/country_codes.html for additional information along with Country Codes / City Codes.
Toll-free directory assistance
In the U.S., directory assistance for companies with toll-free "800 numbers" (with area codes 800, 888, 877 and 866) is available from toll-free directory assistance.Toll-free directory assistance is provided by AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
. Companies must request to have their toll-free number listed and pay AT&T each time their phone number is released to a Toll-free directory assistance caller. AT&T had applied for discontinuing this service but it remains active.
Companies specializing in free directory assistance
Recently private companies have entered the directory assistance market by offering free directory assistance. Customers often must listen to an advertisement prior to receiving directory services.United Kingdom
118 118 (UK)
118 118 is a UK directory enquiries provider based in Cardiff that assists customers with telephone number enquiries and general queries.The service is provided by The Number UK Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of US directory enquiries provider Knowledge Generation Bureau , whose company motto is...
(The Number), have over 90% of the market, mostly due to heavy advertising.
Directory enquiries used to be reached by dialling 192 (domestic numbers) or 153 (foreign), with the service supplied by the telephone company providing the fixed or mobile service to the calling telephone. These numbers were switched off on 24 August 2003 following the introduction of competition to directory enquiries.
A number offering a directory enquiries service allowing people to request to be put through to a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
number was established in June 2009. 118 800 proved to be controversial, however, when it was revealed that it was making available 15 million mobile numbers that it had bought from market researchers. Its website has been temporarily suspended to deal with technical issues and improve the service. The site was suspended within weeks of its launch so that the company could rengineer the site to enable the large number of ex-directory requests to be handled more efficiently.
Viral emails regarding 118800 are generally thought to be responsible for the deluge of unsubscribe requests. The virals spread panic by alleging that the 118800 service was about to give out phone numbers which would be available to marketers. The 118800 service have maintained that these emails are without substance referring enquirers to their website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
where the service is explained. 118800 do not, at any time, release telephone numbers to callers but rather send a message to the mobile phone owner letting them know that the enquirer wishes to be connected to them. The recipient of the call retains the right to accept or refuse the call but either way the caller is never notified of the mobile phone number being contacted.
External links
- Mark Lawson, The Guardian, 19 March 2005, "Dial 0 for progress"
- Patrick Hosking, New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
, 6 September 2004, "The business - Patrick Hosking wonders if 999 will be privatised"