The History Of Directory Enquiries Services
A directory enquiries service has operated since the first telephone
exchange was opened in 1879.
For almost 50 years, the number was 192.
Until the end of the 1970's, operators would sit with over 50 phone
books close at hand. A microfiche system was eventually introduced to
carry the 20 million numbers. This in turn gave way to a computer system
in 1984 when the modern 192 directory enquiry service was born.
But 192 was a monopoly, and three years ago, with the
encouragement of the European Union, the then telecoms
regulator Oftel decided Britain should change to a competitive
directory enquiries market.
As in the rest of Europe, the new numbers would begin with 118.
Companies entered a lottery to allocate numbers. The new world of
118 had dawned.
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