Contact
For more information on AT&T’s phone book, call (800) 422-1955. To view a copy of the white pages online, visit www.realpageslive.com. To stop delivery of white pages, visit www.att.com/mydirectories.
For more information on AT&T’s phone book, call (800) 422-1955. To view a copy of the white pages online, visit www.realpageslive.com. To stop delivery of white pages, visit www.att.com/mydirectories.
In the modern age of technology, the expression “look me up in the phone book” is becoming obsolete.
Still, mandatory delivery of the residential white pages has continued throughout Georgia, regardless of whether residents wanted a copy of the bulky book.
But a recent rule by the Georgia Public Service Commission changes that, lifting a measure that required AT&T to deliver the residential white pages to many communities in the state.
Spokeswoman Stephanie Walker said the company made the request to “give our customers a choice of how they wanted to access the residential white pages.”
“We did a trial here in the Atlanta area inside of I-285 and just over 2 percent requested a copy,” she said.
Walker said AT&T has no plan in place to stop sending the white pages, though the new rule gives the company the freedom to do so.
The policy, likely to take effect this summer, would not impact the delivery of the yellow pages, which provides business listings.
Public Service Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald Jr. voted for the change, saying with Georgia’s white pages costing about $2 million “it’s just business.”
“There’s been some statistics that show that people don’t use them anymore,” said McDonald, a Clarkesville resident who represented Forsyth County in the state legislature for years.
“It’s very expensive to print all those phone books. The cost of printing the books and the non-usage of the books made it a very simple business transaction.”
The rule applies only to communities with more than 50,000 population. Smaller areas still will receive their books.
Residents of the larger communities can request a copy of the white pages, which is why McDonald said he supported the measure.
“There’ll be those that say, ‘I’ve got to have my phone book,’” he said. “All they’ve got to do is make one phone call or one e-mail.
“We’re filling our landfills with these books that are not being used. I’ve seen it over at the state Capitol ... you just see stacks of them in the halls of the Capitol and they just sit there forever and ever and ever.”
Residents in areas such as Forsyth County, which has a phone book with both yellow and white pages, are less likely to stop receiving their annual copy.
But Walker said people who don’t want their June 2010 white pages can call to stop delivery.
Still, mandatory delivery of the residential white pages has continued throughout Georgia, regardless of whether residents wanted a copy of the bulky book.
But a recent rule by the Georgia Public Service Commission changes that, lifting a measure that required AT&T to deliver the residential white pages to many communities in the state.
Spokeswoman Stephanie Walker said the company made the request to “give our customers a choice of how they wanted to access the residential white pages.”
“We did a trial here in the Atlanta area inside of I-285 and just over 2 percent requested a copy,” she said.
Walker said AT&T has no plan in place to stop sending the white pages, though the new rule gives the company the freedom to do so.
The policy, likely to take effect this summer, would not impact the delivery of the yellow pages, which provides business listings.
Public Service Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald Jr. voted for the change, saying with Georgia’s white pages costing about $2 million “it’s just business.”
“There’s been some statistics that show that people don’t use them anymore,” said McDonald, a Clarkesville resident who represented Forsyth County in the state legislature for years.
“It’s very expensive to print all those phone books. The cost of printing the books and the non-usage of the books made it a very simple business transaction.”
The rule applies only to communities with more than 50,000 population. Smaller areas still will receive their books.
Residents of the larger communities can request a copy of the white pages, which is why McDonald said he supported the measure.
“There’ll be those that say, ‘I’ve got to have my phone book,’” he said. “All they’ve got to do is make one phone call or one e-mail.
“We’re filling our landfills with these books that are not being used. I’ve seen it over at the state Capitol ... you just see stacks of them in the halls of the Capitol and they just sit there forever and ever and ever.”
Residents in areas such as Forsyth County, which has a phone book with both yellow and white pages, are less likely to stop receiving their annual copy.
But Walker said people who don’t want their June 2010 white pages can call to stop delivery.