Directory enquiries is dead - in theory

Sometimes, the end of an era cannot come soon enough. Much as Ofcom's intentions in dismantling BT's 192 directory enquiries monopoly were honourable, the chaos subsequent to that decision in awarding a confusing rash of 118 numbers met with many critics.

So maybe it's not surprising that amid tumbling numbers of callers (and profits), directory enquiries has now gone free.

What is surprising, maybe, is that it is the industry leader which is doing it.

Conduit Enterprises, which operates 118118 (42% market share), has launched 0800 118 FREE (substitute the letters for numbers) which will provide a single phone number for free. Gone are those days of spending 60-odd pence on getting a number.

Instead, Conduit will make its money from playing an advert to each caller before they can request a number. And of course, callers will have to speak to an interactive voice response (IVR) engine, rather than a human being.

Which begs two questions.

One - what does Ofcom and the other operators make of it, having gone through a painfully long lottery to allocate the best 118 numbers and;

Two - will users have the patience to listen to a) an advert and b) an IVR, to save 60p. Chances are, if they're calling from work, probably not.