Vote totals:
Yes:
100%
No:
0%
Neutral:
0%
DEBATE: DO YOU AGREE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CENTRALISED OPT-OUT SYSTEM FOR PHONEBOOKS?
DO YOU AGREE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CENTRALISED OPT-OUT SYSTEM FOR PHONEBOOKS?
Environmental implications
25 million households and business receive an average of 3 phonebooks per year which amounts to:
- 75,000 tonnes of waste
- Laid end to end these phonebooks would stretch over half way around the world (22,500km)
- 680,000 barrels of oil are wasted in phonebook production
DO YOU AGREE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CENTRALISED OPT-OUT SYSTEM FOR PHONEBOOKS?
More content and data can be found online
Phonebooks typically have less than 100,000 local records: online directory enquiries search over 17.5 million phone records across the UK
online directories such as 192.com also offer free interactive mapping and aerial photography, more powerful search options and access to a much broader range of datasets. Online data can be updated on a daily basis, phonebook data can only be updated on an annual basis
There is still not 100% internet connectivity in the UK so not everyone has access to this information.
Some groups remain isolated from regular access to the internet, such as some elderly people or low-income families.
DO YOU AGREE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CENTRALISED OPT-OUT SYSTEM FOR PHONEBOOKS?
Opt out
The phone book has had its day – surely with the cost saving 118 etc can be offered FOC to vulnerable groups.
Implementing such a plan would be a logistical nightmare and surely even more costly. Free of charge provision of a directory enquiries service could only be easily linked to phone numbers rather than to vulnerable individuals themselves who are transient.
In addition phone books provide a service which is accessible to the hard of hearing, which is an obvious problem with any telephone service.
