Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Time To Pay Wireless Carriers To Keep Telemarketers From Calling You

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2003 12:36:13 -0400

Time To Pay Wireless Carriers To Keep Telemarketers From Calling You

Contributed by mmasnick on Wed, Oct 1 2003

Now that it looks like telemarketers might possibly have to stop making
telemarketing calls to your landlines, and carriers might possibly have to allow
you to transfer your landline numbers to your mobile phones - it appears that the
telemarketers also want to be able to reach you on your mobile phone. Right now,
most such calls are illegal (though, they still happen all the time), though you
can add your mobile phone to the national "do not call" list to make it more
official (or, less official and more up for grabs if the list gets tossed by the
courts). An industry trade group, however, is proposing a directory of mobile
phone numbers that will allow anyone searching for you (whether it's a long lost
friend or a telemarketer) to request your mobile phone number. This wouldn't be a
"white pages" solution, as only directory assistance operators would (in theory)
have access to the directory. Of course, many people like the fact that their
mobile phone number isn't listed anywhere. To deal with folks who say that, the
group putting this together says it will be "opt-in" only. However - if you want
to stay off the list it may cost you. This is the same sort of "deal" that the
regular phone companies offer you, where you pay up to remain not listed. It does
seem a little odd to have to pay someone not to do something you don't want (in
some places that's called "protection money"). If this plan does move forward, I
imagine there will be some pretty loud complaints from consumers who don't see the
reason to pay anything extra to not be included in a service they don't want.

=====================================================================================

Posted on Wed, Oct. 01, 2003

Directory would make it easy to find
cell-phone users
By Akweli Parker
Inquirer Staff Writer

Citing an increasing number of people who have ditched their landline phones, the
cell-phone industry is angling to list customers in a cell-phone directory.

The directory, to be made available only to directory-assistance operators, would
let just about anyone reach you - through an operator - on your wireless phone.
Keeping your number out of the directory might cost you, although the industry
will not discuss that issue.

The industry's leading trade group said it expected the directory to be available
in about a year. It would be a boon to small businesses and "regular consumers"
who would like potential customers or old friends to be able to find them on the
go.
There are about 150 million cell-phone subscribers in the United States, according
to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, the trade group.

"There had been consumer requests as more consumers cut the cord and went wireless
only," said Travis Larson, spokesman for the group.

But what about people who prefer to keep their cell-phone numbers off-limits to
the general public?
That question worries U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican from Lancaster who, along
with other members of a House consumer and commerce subcommittee, has been
grilling cell-phone industry officials about the proposed directory's effect.
"I'm concerned about this directory," Pitts said. "I'm a consumer, too. I don't
want my phone number put on a list for the world to see. When you get a call on
your cell phone, you expect it to be important."

Fear not, says the cell-phone group, which sought to ease legislators' worries in
a letter last month that said in part:
Consumers will have to give their consent to be listed. Industry publications have
suggested that an unlisted number may cost extra, however; the trade group and
individual companies would not say how much or how often.

Access to the database will be jealously guarded from telemarketers, and the
database will include "phantom listings" to catch violators.

The list will not be available to anyone except directory-assistance companies;
there will be no wireless "white pages." Telemarketers could ask to be connected
directly to you but presumably would not be able to blanket legions of cell-phone
users with computerized calls.

"The wireless industry has always made an effort to protect consumer privacy and
will continue with that tradition," Larson said.
Next month, the wireless industry will roll out a decidedly pro-consumer feature,
giving customers the ability to keep their phone numbers when they switch
providers. The cost and complexity of that effort means it might be a year before
the wireless directory is in place, Larson said.

Pitts said discussions between legislators and the trade group had left some
questions unanswered, such as fees that could be levied for opting out of the
directory.

"I would hope we could avoid legislation," Pitts said, though it remains an
option. "I would hope the industry could address our concerns on its own... . I
would rather they solve it."

Major cellular carriers Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless, Cingular and Sprint PCS
referred questions about the directory to the trade group.

Most cell-phone users prefer to keep their numbers private, said Alan F. Westin,
founder of the Privacy & American Business think tank and publisher of its
newsletter.

In a survey last year that Westin helped put together, only 16 percent of
respondents were concerned that their wireless-phone numbers could not be found by
people who wanted to find them.  For 65 percent of the respondents, the lack of
such a directory was of no concern.

Users' having to pay not to be listed is "not a consumer-friendly approach,"
Westin said.

The survey, conducted on behalf of a directory-assistance provider, identified
some circumstances that might warm consumers to such a directory, including that
their numbers would never be sold to telemarketers and that recipients could
screen callers.
Nonetheless, Westin said, "I don't see, from our survey, that people are hungering
for a national cell-phone directory. I don't think people view their mobile phone
as something they want to have in a directory."

Westin added that with the brouhaha over the national do-not-call landline
telephone list, consumers' sensitivity to privacy issues is particularly high.

"Cell-phone usage came along after the big fights about mail, e-mail and telephone
spam," he said. "You'd think the industry would have learned those lessons."

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/personal_finance/6901443.htm