Telecom or all

MetroOne has introduced a national dial-around DA/DQ service called Infone™. Having lost major clients Cingular and Sprint, MetroOne's high profile move from wholesale to retail may be a “bet-the-company” tactic. Low price, coupled with high-service and promotional costs make this a very high-risk venture.

When Britain formally moves to competitive Directory Assistance/Enquiry in August, it will set the stage for a global redefinition of DA/DQ. Instead of greater reliance on technology to save costs, competitors will focus on improving the performance of their live agents.

Through its TXT-411 AT&T Wireless is making DA/DQ services a center-piece of its mLife interactive services package. TXT-411 will not cannibalize DA/DQ revenues but will provide another reason for subscribers to become familiar with text-messaging and will be extended to provide an array of additional value added service features.

An inclusive approach to Directory Assistance/Enquiry (DA/DQ) will foster $3 billion in additional annual revenue in 2007 to carriers or third-party service providers. The percentage of unlisted wireless numbers range from a low of around 2 percent in Denmark and Finland to a high of 99 percent in several countries around the world.