ballerup@diku.dk (Per G|tterup) (10/20/90)
dan@sics.se (Dan Sahlin) writes: => In Sweden you are charged SEK 6.90 (about 1USD) per minute when => calling 07975 for directory enquiries. This started about two years => ago, and there was a lot of opposition. The blind and handicapped get => their telephone subscription rate reduced, but they do not have a => special number. => The crazy thing is that you are charged per minute. That is, if the => operator is slow, you will have to pay more. They claim that they => usually handle an enquiry within a minute, and according to my => experience this seems true. => Directory enquiries for other countries is still free. => Are there any more countries where you have to pay for directory => enquiries? Almost the same in the neighbouring country of Sweden to the south-west, Denmark. For at least ten years now we've had to pay for that service (0033) here in Denmark, at a rate of dkr. 6.50 (about $1.20) per minute. There is however a special service for sight impaired people that funny enough was established for somewhat other reasons as well. It's simply that these sight impaired can get the service for free if they're unable to use the ordinary printed directory. The possibility of removing the charge on certain phones was introduced in order to avoid having to keep on replacing the printed directories at public pay phones on the streets which kept on being vandalized. Because the Danish telecom by law has to provide at least one free source of directory enquiries at every phone, they had to introduce this service and thereby solve two problems with one stroke. Directory enquiries for other countries (0037) is also charged by the minute here, at a rate (if I remember correctly) dkr. 2,50 (about $0.40) per minute, and it's free from the same phones as local enquiries are. Hope anybody can use this info! I'll be back... | Per Gotterup | Student, DIKU (Inst. of Comp. Sci.) | University of Copenhagen, Denmark | Internet: ballerup@freja.diku.dk