KANSAS CITY, Mo – It’s been a household fixture for decades. However, by next year, the White Pages may stop arriving on metro area doorsteps on the Missouri side of the state line.
Because customers are cutting their landlines and increasingly relying their on cell phones, AT&T says the need for a printed copy of the White Pages is quickly disappearing.
As a result, the phone company wants to stop automatic delivery to homes and businesses in the Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas. There is no plan to stop automatic delivery in Kansas.
Customers will still be able to call a toll-free number to request a free copy of the White Pages. The change does not affect the Yellow Pages or smaller suburban directories.
On Monday night, the Missouri Public Service Commission held a public hearing about the idea at the Kansas City Public Library located at 4801 Main St. However, AT&T customer Jerry Rosemblum was the only person who showed up to ask questions.
“I was sort of disappointed because I’ve grown up with the book all my life,” Rosemblum said. “But I feel like most of my questions have been answered.
AT&T attorney Leo Bub said the company has already tried a similar plan in Austin, Tex. and Atlanta. Three percent of its customers requested a copy of the White Pages in Austin and only one percent requested a copy in Atlanta, according to Bub.
Robert Clayton, the Chairman of the PSC, said the commission is trying to make sure the book will remain accessible to all customers who want it.
“According to this agreement, all you have to do is speak up,” he said. “We have to make sure the way you speak up is easy.”
The PSC will hold a similar hearing in the St. Louis area on Wednesday. The commission is expected to decide by the end of the month, according to Clayton.
Comments can be mailed to P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or emailed to pscinfo@psc.mo.gov. Be sure to include the case number IE-2009-0357.
