September 17, 2024, 7:59 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Sometimes, it is time to part with certain offers. Especially if they are no longer being used in the way they used to be and were actually intended to be. This also applies to Telekom’s directory assistance service, which will only be in operation until the end of the year.
Directory assistance is one of the oldest services in the field of telephony. With just one call, you can obtain the phone numbers of individuals and institutions both within Germany and internationally. Originally, directory assistance was offered by Deutsche Bundespost, but after privatization, other providers were also able to operate this service. Today, Deutsche Telekom’s directory assistance service is one of the oldest. However, its termination is now confirmed.
Demand for Deutsche Telekom Directory Assistance windles
Today, it’s rare to find someone who doesn’t regularly use the Internet. In view of this development, the classic directory assistance service has become less and less important over the years. While around 550 million inquiries were received via 11833 in 1995, the number has fallen significantly since then. Deutsche Telekom reports an annual decline of 20 percent. Currently, the number of calls is well below two million – a more than 99.6 percent decrease in just under 30 years.
Telekom itself now calls the service “outdated.” Digital services on cell phones have overtaken directory assistance. The company is therefore parting with its long-standing service. On December 1, 2024, Deutsche Telekom will discontinue directory assistance for good. Domestic and international directory enquiries, as well as the wake-up service, will then become relics of the past.
However, the employees who have been managing the service in call centers will not be left without employment. Some of them will retire, while the others will be transferred to other projects from December onwards, according to Telekom.
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As mentioned, the widespread use of the Internet and devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones is one of the main reasons Deutsche Telekom’s directory assistance service has simply become superfluous. Instead, most people search online for contact details of doctors, companies, and institutions and write to friends and acquaintances on their cell phones. Companies that want to be successful publish their contact details and opening hours online. In addition, there are various digital services that collect addresses and telephone numbers from a wide range of institutions and make them available for searches.
The concept is reminiscent of the telephone directory, which contained an almost complete list of all German households in the 1980s and 90s. Back then, entries in the telephone directory were mandatory, but today, they are only made on request. In the meantime, the telephone directory mainly exists in digital form. But – it’s hard to believe – printed editions still exist and are usually published once a year these days.
Deutsche Telekom points to the printed telephone directory and the option to list one’s phone number there in light of the directory assistance service’s conclusion. “The data belongs to the subscriber and is published only with their consent,” says the company. Upon contractual agreement, Deutsche Telekom forwards the data to the directory assistance service. The data editing department also handles the transfer of data to other companies, which Telekom is obliged to do. The Federal Network Agency regulates the prices.