Directory assistance

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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 or business.

1 Technology
2 North America
- 2.1 U.S. Wireline Telephone Companies Classify DA into 4 rate classes
- 2.2 Toll-free Directory Assistance
3 United Kingdom
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Technology

Directory assistance systems incorporate a wide range of automation to reduce the cost of human operators. Almost all systems use custom database 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 & 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.

[edit] North America

Related terms: 4-1-1

In the North American Numbering Plan (covering Canada and the United States), directory assistance may be contacted by dialing 4-1-1 (one of the N11 codes) 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.

[edit] U.S. Wireline Telephone Companies Classify DA into 4 rate classes

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

[edit] 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 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^[1] but it remains active.

[edit] United Kingdom

The BT Foreign directory assistance centre in Grimsby (1996).

In the UK, Directory Assistance is called Directory Enquiries. In the UK, directory enquiries used to be reached by dialling 192 (domestic numbers) or 153 (foreign), with the service supplied by the former monopolist, British Telecom. These numbers were switched off on 24 August 2003 following the introduction of competition to directory enquiries. There are currently over 200 providers, reached by dialling 118 plus another three digit number.^[2] Three providers, 118 500 (BT), 118 888 and 118 118, have over 90% of the market, mostly due to very heavy advertising. The British Government's initial plan of ending the BT monopoly of directory enquiries, thus making the service more competitive, has backfired, due mainly to the success of internet based services.^{[citation needed]}