Editing Directory assistance (section)

==North America==
In the [[North American Numbering Plan]] (covering [[Canada]], the [[United States]], and parts of the [[Caribbean]]), directory assistance may be contacted by dialing [[411 (telephone number)|411]] (one of the [[N11 code]]s).  To get a listing in a remote or non-local [[area code]], directory assistance is available at 1-''[[area code]]''-555-1212.  In some cases, a 411 call from a [[landline]] will yield local, national, and sometimes international listings.

Most telephone companies permit up to two listings per 411 calls. All wireless carriers offer nationwide listings with 411 except Xfinity Mobile, and some offer additional Enhanced Directory Assistance services.{{Cn|date=September 2024}} However, wireless numbers for residential customers are not available via 411.
In 2021, AT&T ended directory assistance service for wireless subscribers and in 2023 ended directory assistance services for digital landline subscribers, AT&T's directory assistance listings are now inaccessible as of 2024.{{Original research inline|date=September 2024}}

===Billing===
Historically, the [[Telecommunications tariff|tariffs]] for wireline telephone service allowed subscribers to place a certain number of directory assistance calls for free each month.  More recently,{{When?|date=September 2024}} telephone companies are charging subscribers for every directory assistance call.{{Cn|date=September 2024}}

U.S. wireline telephone companies classify DA into four rate classes:

# 411 LDA: Local Directory Assistance. 411 is dialed, and the operator is requested to search for a listing in a group of area codes local to the caller ([[Local access and transport area|LATA]]). Example: the caller lives in area code 630 (Oak Brook, Illinois) and requests a listing for a business in area code 312 (Chicago, Illinois). In this case, [[AT&T Illinois]] bills the call.
# 411 NDA: National Directory Assistance. 411 is dialed and the operator is requested to search for a listing in an area code not local to the caller. For example: The caller lives in area code 630 (Oak Brook, Illinois) and requests a listing for a business in area code 213 (Los Angeles, California). In this case, AT&T Illinois bills the call.
# (area code) 555–1212: National Directory Assistance. This example assumes the caller is in Oak Brook, Illinois (area code 630) and uses Verizon as their long-distance carrier. Example: The caller is looking for a listing in Los Angeles, California (area code 213) and dials 213-555-1212. In this case, Verizon bills the call.
# 00 and ask for the international directory assistance operator. [[AT&T Inc.|AT&T]] provides International Directory Assistance calls.

===Toll-free directory assistance===
In the U.S., directory assistance for companies with [[Toll-free telephone numbers in the North American Numbering Plan|toll-free]] "[[800 number]]s" (with area codes 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888) was available from toll-free directory assistance, reachable by dialing 1-800-555-1212, for many decades until it was discontinued in 2020.{{Cn|date=September 2024}}

Toll-free directory assistance was provided by telecommunication providers, namely AT&T and Verizon, as mandated by the [[Federal Communications Commission]]. Companies requested to have their toll-free number listed, and paid the providers each time their phone number was released to a toll-free directory-assistance caller.

In 1999, AT&T applied for permission to discontinue this service,<ref name="fcc">*{{cite web |url=http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Public_Notices/1999/da992541.html |title=Discontinuance – AT&T Toll-Free Directory Assistance Service – 1-800-555-1212 |access-date=28 December 2007 |author=AT&T Inc. |author-link=AT&T Inc. |date=16 November 1999 |work=FCC Public Notices |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}}
</ref> but it remained active until the summer of 2020.{{Cn|date=September 2024}} An automated disconnection recording now plays when calling the 1-800-555-1212 number.{{Cn|date=September 2024}}

===Directory assistance data sources===
The service of 411 queries is often outsourced to a [[call centre]] that specializes in that function. Historically, when a single carrier provided most of the telephony services for a region, the data used to satisfy the search could come exclusively from that carrier's subscriber rolls. Today, when the market is fragmented amongst many carriers, the data must be aggregated by a [[data aggregator]] specializing in directory listings. The data aggregator distributes the data to the 411 services either on a "live" basis, actually servicing each query, or by periodically transferring large swaths of listings to the call center's systems for local searching.

The data aggregator collects the data from the rolls of many telecommunication carriers. Some carriers, such as [[Vonage]], do not send their customer rolls to the aggregator.

===Companies specializing in free directory assistance===
Private companies have entered the directory assistance market by offering free directory assistance. They are available in most states like [[Connecticut]] and others.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.connecticutresidentdirectory.com/ |title=Connecticut People Search|publisher=connecticutresidentdirectory.com|author=}}</ref> Customers often must listen to an advertisement prior to receiving directory services.<ref name=Free411.NYT2006/>