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- This article discusses the telephone directory number 411. For the year 411, see 411. For other uses of 411, see 411 (disambiguation)
For decades, most of the United States and Canada has used 4-1-1 as the telephone number for local directory assistance. One notable exception is the Pacific Northwest used 1-1-3 until the mid-1980s. In recent years, 4-1-1 has been used for long distance directory assistance in most areas in the United States. The traditional long distance directory number is 1-area code-555-1212. 411 is also used as a slang term meaning "information".
Landline telephone directory
411 service is generally provided by the local telephone company or wireless provider. Approximately 6 billion calls are made to 411 within the United States each year. Premium services such as Infone supplement 411 with detailed searches and concierge services.
Since deregulation, the price of using 411 has increased to about $1.25 USD in the U.S., compared to $0.50 CAD in most of Canada. Many payphones still have the most basic form of local 411 free of charge, presumably because the customer will pay to call any numbers provided.
Three new services provide customers with a free alternative to the local-provider 411 service within the United States. 1-800-FREE-411 (1-800-3733-411) is the largest free provider of directory assistance and has captured approximately two percent of the directory assistance market*. Other free services include 1-800-411-METRO and 1-800-411-SAVE (1-800-411-7283). Each of these services are sponsored by local businesses and feature a brief recorded tag to identify the sponsor and its offerings.
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, Cingular, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile.
References
"4-1-1"