India mulls cellphone directory

The department of telecom is considering introduction of a mobile phone directory through public-private partnership mode, a move strongly opposed by private operators.
Mobile customers, particularly the pre-paid ones, who form 80 per cent of the total subscriber base, can change the number frequently, making it difficult to create a mobile directory in printed form, official sources said.
Hence, a call centre or website-routed mobile number access system has been looked at, they said. Under such a system, a person can call up a call centre or go to a website to find the number of a particular subscriber. DoT can outsource this process to an external agency in a public-private partnership. The department has placed a proposal to this effect to communications minister Mr A Raja, who has to take a call on it.