Mobile operators should provide directory service: DoT

Mobile operators may have to finally publish telephone directory and start directory enquiry service, something they have managed to put off for 12 years. The department of telecommunications (DoT) has yet again asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to furnish its recommendations on the issue.

When this happens, India would join the league of most developed nations and European Union where it is mandatory for mobile operators to publish a comprehensive directory for end-users.

However, Trai has written back to the DoT seeking clarifications on the issue as in 2005 the former had sent a comprehensive set of recommendations to the latter suggesting that telephone directory and directory enquiry service should be made mandatory.

Trai officials said that they have no idea about the status of their earlier recommendations and they should know its fate before they submit a fresh set of recommendations.

The cellular industry, under the aegis of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), had opposed and continues to oppose publication of any directory of post-paid subscribers arguing that mobile phone users prefer privacy. Further, many users give mobile phones to their young children and would not prefer their numbers to be printed in a directory. The issue of roaming charges and unsolicited calls by telemarketing executives were also cited as reasons against publishing mobile phone directory.

However, consumer organisations have insisted on the need to publish such directories as they help in locating people and their addresses.

As far as the licensing conditions are concerned, there’s no uniformity. For instance, the old cellular licenses and basic service licenses mandated operators to publish directories. However, at that time, incoming calls on mobile phones were also charged so the operators never came out with the directories reasoning that it would add to the cost of owning a mobile. The unified access service licence (UASL), which came later, has not made directories mandatory. Instead it enjoins

DoT to do so after consulting the Trai.

In its recommendations, Trai had said that all licence agreements for access service should have uniform provisions for publication of telephone directory and directory enquiry service.

It had also suggested that those subscribers who do not wish to have their names included in the directory can give in writing. Further, with Trai coming out with a regulation on Do Not Call registry to check calls from telemarketing companies, that issue is also taken care of.

It had suggested that while the printed directory should have the names of only post-paid users, operators should provide a web directory of pre-paid users as well.