| Sprint's main business is in cellular services. After | | | | services, in recent years, several companies have |
| Sprint PCS combined with Nextel, its wireless | | | | spent millions of dollars to build alternative cellular |
| business has became one of the largest in the | | | | phone directories. These private cell directories |
| U.S. Sprint customers make millions of calls each | | | | often called "backdoor" directories. The phone |
| day, chances are, many of these phone calls are | | | | numbers were collected through data brokers, |
| missed calls, when you missed a wireless phone | | | | sponsored events, surveys, new cell phone |
| call, the caller ID doesn't tell you any more | | | | giveaways, and other confidential data channels. |
| information rather than a wireless caller. If you | | | | The top directories contain numbers cover almost |
| want to know who is associated with the phone | | | | 80% of the U.S. wireless phone owners. |
| number, you would need to make reverse cell | | | | The private directories would allow you to check |
| phone lookups. | | | | if a phone number belongs to Sprint or not free |
| In early 2005, Sprint was in talks with AT&T, | | | | of charge. If the number does exist, you could |
| Cingular, Nextel, T-Mobile, and some other cellular | | | | also trace the owner's name, address, and |
| service providers to make a nation wide Mobile | | | | background information. If the information is not |
| 411 cell phone number directory. When the | | | | accurate, you should ask for a refund, many |
| proposal came out, it met with strong resistance | | | | directories has 100% money back guarantee |
| from privacy groups and majority phone owners. | | | | policy. |
| Most phone owners want to have their numbers | | | | Be aware of "free cell phone directory" scams. |
| remain private and anonymous. Subsequently, a | | | | There are several Internet websites claim to give |
| law was passed to make telemarketing calls to | | | | you free cellphone lookups, but they want you to |
| cellular phones illegal. In December 2007, the | | | | register your personal information first, they want |
| Congress drafted a bill (S. 2454) that would ban | | | | to collect your name, cellphone number, and home |
| the creation of a mobile directory. The measure is | | | | address before making a search. Their sole |
| currently at the Senate Commerce Committee. | | | | purpose is to collect your private information and |
| At present time, there is no public White Pages at | | | | sell them to data brokers. It would be very costly |
| any cellular phone providers, it is unlikely to have | | | | to remove such information from hundreds of |
| one in the near future because the law is getting | | | | people search websites. This kind of websites you |
| even tougher on protecting personal privacy. | | | | should avoid to use. |
| To meet the public demand for cellphone lookup | | | | |