UK sees launch of directory assistance with mobile numbers

UK ICO GIVES TACIT APPROVAL TO MOBILE DIRECTORY SERVICE. Following years of effort to provide mobile numbers through directory assistance (DA), Connectivity (www.connectivityltd.co.uk) has begun the launch of its new UK DA service, 118800. The service is available online now (www.118800.co.uk) and, according to the web site, will be available in the future in the UK by dialing 118800.

While mobile listings are commonly included directory assistance databases in some northern European countries, databases in many other countries--including the US--have only a small fraction of total mobile listings. A European industry-wide effort to develop a mobile listing service never gained much traction--in part because of conflicting interests within the industry--though there have been other recent introductions, including Swisscom's Connect 1811 and Belgacom's "mailbox" service. An effort in the US being spearheaded by the CTIA, which had selected Qsent (subsequently acquired by TransUnion), ran into vociferous opposition from many parties, including Verizon Wireless and US legislators.

To use Connectivity’s online service, users are prompted at the home page to enter a first name, surname, and town. The service doesn't give out phone numbers to enquirers, but says that if it finds the subject of the search, 118800 will text the enquirer's details to the subject and charge the enquirer 1 GBP. The subject won't be charged anything by 118800, though standard mobile network charges apply.

Connectivity reports that its listings come from companies who collect mobile numbers from customers in the course of doing business and have been given permission by customers to share those numbers. Connectivity reports that it is regulated by PhonePayPlus (www.phonepayplus.org.uk) and the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) (www.ico.gov.uk). PhonePayPlus informed us that they regulate phone-paid services but that there had been no issues involving Connectivity's service. The ICO issued a statement to us saying Connectivity had discussed their proposed service and that the ICO provided advice on compliance with the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). The ICO statement said, furthermore, that it understands that Connectivity's service will possess the following characteristics:

- it will be privacy friendly;
- it will only connect people when the recipient agrees to take the call;
- it will not divulge subject's number;
- it will not use numbers where there is any doubt about whether the consumer was happy for their information to be used by this service;
- it will allow subjects to opt-out;
- it will make opting-out as easy as possible.

We tried the service out, first by entering our mobile phone online in their database--address Russell Square, London WC1B 5BE. We confirmed the entry with the code we received via SMS from Connectivity. However, when we searched for our listing, it wasn't found. We were prompted to narrow our search to an area or borough in London, which we did, but still to no avail, with no further explanation. We also tried the service out by searching for Connectivity's CEO Raj Raithatha and marketing director Shona Forster. No luck there either, and no explanation.

The BBC (www.news.bbc.co.uk) reports that the company has 15 m numbers and that the service has angered privacy campaigners.

Connectivity, which is privately held, has received investments from 3i (www.3i.com) and DFJ Esprit (www.dfjesprit.com).
-Stuart Whitaker