Opt-in Wireless Directory Services Will Be Coming Soon.

A national cell phone directory is coming next year, like it or not. Cellular industry is going ahead with plans for a national cell phone phone directory service. They hope to make the database available to people seeking contact information.

Now the industry is finally pushing ahead to create a nationwide directory-assistance database. In early summer, the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) promised a cellular directory service by the end of this year. This would not be a print publication, but a 411-style lookup.

However, the industry doesn't plan to list numbers without permission. You should have the choice to list your cell phone number so it will be less inclusive than traditional directories. And You won't have to pay a fee for having cell phones unlisted.

Of the six major national mobile phone carriers, five have agreed to participate. But the largest carrier, Verizon Wireless, said it would not allow any of its more than 40 million customers to be listed, even those who want to participate.

In October, most major cell phone carriers plan to start compiling a publicly accessible listing of wireless phone numbers. The directory service is scheduled to begin early next year. It would allow people to call directory assistance services such as 411 or 555-1212 to get cell phone numbers, along with land-line phone numbers.

Growing need for a cell phone directory

Cell phones are becoming the primary phone for many people. Currently, there are more than 150 million cell phone users in the United States. And more than 7 million of them have gone strictly wireless without a wired phone. They want to give access to friends, family and potential business contacts. The availability of a directory service would be is particularly appealing to two-fold: everyday wireless users and business users.

Cell phones, of course, remain personal communication devices but are often used as business tools. Many small businesses rely on cell phones alone. Professionals such as real estate agents and frequent business travelers heavily depends on wireless phones. They take most of their important client calls on the move. A cell phone is their lifeline for their business. They want their clients to be able to find them easily. 5 to 6 million people already pay to list their cell phone numbers, typically paying a local telephone directory company $10 to $15 extra a month to do so

But what about my privacy? Conflict between accessibility and privacy

But privacy advocates are objecting the wireless directory move. Many customer worry that it could be jeopardizing their privacy by participating in the list.

The traditional phone book served as the central clearinghouse of contact information. In old days, just about everybody had a number listed in the white pages. These days, however, a noticeable percentage of the total customer phone numbers are not listed in a telephone directory. And the number of people requesting unlisted numbers continues to grow.

Privacy advocates fear the directory will spark a new wave of telemarketer calls to cell phones. It may open a door to unwanted marketing and other harassing calls that not only would hassle cell phone users but also cost them valuable minutes for incoming calls.

One survey found that less than 30% of cell phone users would actively participate in a directory if it were available. Being listed in the new cell-phone directory will be strictly voluntary, reflecting an increasing tension in today's digital world.

The permission-based nature of a directory means it will be even more incomplete -- and therefore, less valuable -- than the traditional land-line phone books at least in the beginning.