4-1-1

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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. Up until the early 1980s, 411 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.

411 is also commonly referred to as "DA" - "Directory Assistance" or "Information".

Approximately 6 billion calls are made to 411 within the United States every year.

[edit] Landline telephone companies

1. 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. Example: The caller lives in area code 630 (Oak Brook, Illinois) 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.
2. 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. Example: The caller lives in area code 630 (Oak Brook, Illinois) and request a listing for a business in area code 213 (Los Angeles, California). 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 the caller are in Oak Brook, Illinois (AC 630) and you have MCI as his or her Long Distance Carrier. 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.

[edit] Landline telephone directory assistance

411 land line service is generally provided by a local telephone company. Since deregulation, the price of using 411 has increased to an average of $1.25 USD in the U.S., compared to $0.50 CAD in most of Canada.

[edit] 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 landline 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, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile.

Some mobile carriers have tended to charge a lot for Directory assistance calls placed to 411^[1]. 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.^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Recent survey from Tellme Networks, Inc. about 411 usage
• The Kelsey Group report on wireless voice search (10/2006)