Printed telephone directory gives way to digital age

Demand for printed telephone books has been diminishing in Switzerland. Keystone / Str

Private phone numbers in Switzerland will only be listed on digital platforms from next year as the iconic printed telephone directory will be discontinued, ending 142 years of existence.

The first Swiss ‘White Pages’ telephone directory was printed in 1880 with just 98 entries. This rose to one million entries by 1959 and a peak of 4.2 million telephone numbers in the 1990s, before reducing in scale from the turn of the Millennium.

The advent of the internet and smartphones, plus a rise in annoying cold calls from advertisers, has reduced demand from people to have their private numbers displayed in a directory, said publishing company Localsearch.

But perhaps the most significant change was an amendment to the Swiss law in 1997 which had previously made it obligatory to have household phone numbers listed in the printed pages of a directory.

Technology has also played a role in the demise of the printed telephone book. The arrival of mobile phones has reduced the number of Swiss landlines by three million since 2000.

In 2017, Swiss public broadcaster SRF said the number of entries in the White Pages was declining by around 5% a year. The printed directory has been getting thinner and less popular – and by the end of 2022 will completely disappear.

The rise of telemarketing and stricter rules to protect private data have encouraged more people to keep their private numbers under wraps. This has also reduced the number of private phone numbers that are listed on digital directories.

From the start of 2023, the White Pages will cease to exist, but the Yellow Pages directory of business numbers will continue for the foreseeable future, said Localsearch.