Q: I've heard that cell phone companies will begin providing cell phone numbers to a national wireless 411 directory. Should I list my cell phone on the "Do Not Call" registry?

Answer

Information is circulating on the Internet urging wireless customers to register their cell phone numbers on the national "Do Not Call" list, so as to avoid receiving calls from telemarketers once a national directory of cell phone numbers is in place.

IS&T has asked Verizon Wireless, Nextel, AT&T, T-mobile, and Sprint about their privacy policies, and if they were going to provide MIT cell phone customer information to the national wireless 411 directory.

All vendors responded similarly: No vendor sells or gives phone numbers to telemarketers, nor will they provide any information to the wireless 411 directory UNLESS the customer asks to be included. Vendors will provide the information only on an OPT IN basis. This means that customers will have to specifically request to have their information added to the directory. There is no charge to be included or excluded from the national wireless 411 Directory.

In addition, customers who request to be included in the Wireless 411 database would have only their phone number given to people who call Wireless 411. The database would not be for sale to third parties, nor are there any plans for a printed directory.

AT&T provided this additional important piece of information:

Regarding telemarketers, there are rules limiting the use of autodialers (the automatic telephone dialing systems often
used by telephone solicitors) to call a wireless phone. Nevertheless, if consumers are concerned about receiving telemarketing
calls on their cell phone, they may indeed add their wireless phone numbers to the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call registry, which is an effective tool for preventing most unwanted telemarketing calls.