[IP] Fears over US mobile phones list (Financial Times, 21 May 04)
...... Forwarded Message .......
From: GLIGOR1@xxxxxxx
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 22 May 2004 09:45:15 -0400 (EDT)
Subj: Fears over US mobile phones list (Financial Times, 21 May 04)
Fears over US mobile phones list
By Amy Yee in New York
Published: May 20 2004 19:36 | Last Updated: May 21 2004 0:06
www.ft.com
Consumer advocates are expressing concern over a wireless industry trade
group's proposal to compile US mobile phone numbers and list them in a
directory
by early next year.
"We are puting it together for the consumer that has cut the cord [on
landline phones] and also for small businesspeople who use their wireless
phone as
their primary phone," said Travis Larson, a Cellular Telecommunications and
Internet Association spokesman.
But consumer groups fear that wireless users may be flooded with calls from
telemarketers - particularly because wireless phone customers, unlike
traditional customers, are charged for each incoming call.
"People better be given a serious chance to opt in to the directory," said
Mark Cooper of the Consumer Federation of America. "They have to be
apprised of
the decision being made."
In Congress, legislation has already been introduced that would prohibit
wireless companies from listing numbers without customer permission, or for
charging customers to keep unlisted numbers. All the big US wireless
carriers except
Verizon plan to give users the option to be listed.
CTIA emphasised that consumers would have the option of being included in
the
operator-assisted directory. Those who deferred would not be charged extra.
There are no plans for a print-version directory.
The group has no estimate of the number of wireless listings it would
compile. Mr Larson said 5m consumers already pay up to $20 to list wireless
numbers
in the phone book, and 8m people use only wireless phones; by 2008 about 30
per
cent of consumers will have only wireless phones.
Mr Larson added that people could put their numbers on the national "Do not
call" registry that bars telemarketers from calling.
Cingular Wireless said: "Subscriber privacy is paramount and central to our
efforts. Subscribers will control access to their personal information."
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/