UK telecom regulator probes customer ire against India

An inquiry by the British telecom regulator has begun following complaints that the directory inquiry service outsourced to India, South Africa and the Philippines is not meeting customer satisfaction.

Calls to the 118 system have fallen by three million a week since British Telecom's 192 service was scrapped a year ago.

The move was intended to drive down costs and improve the quality of service by introducing competition. But the opening up of the market to more than 100 operators has been beset by problems.

There have been complaints about callers frequently being given the wrong numbers. Customers also say they are confused by the different prices and plethora of services.

Now the National Audit Office is to investigate whether the system has delivered what was promised. It will decide if "the expected benefits of liberalisation occurred in practice for consumers".