27 July - 2 August 2000

Maltacom launches new directory

by Greta Borg Carbott

As from today, Maltacom subscribers will be receiving their new telephone directory which, for the first time, will not carry any advertising.

The new directory will be 150 pages shorter than the 1998 directory and the only adverts will be those on the cover, following a decision taken by the contracting company responsible for the directory.

About 15,000 copies will be delivered per day and a total of 185,000 copies will be delivered by 12 August. The new directory lists 156,000 Maltese subscribers and 12,000 Gozitan subscribers.

At a press conference to launch the publication, Maltacom deputy chairman John Camilleri noted that the company had been producing directories every two years since 1996. Before that, directories were updated every five years and often took over six months to distribute.

Maltacom chief executive officer Stephen Muscat said the new directory should hopefully reduce people's dependence on the Freephone enquiries service 190, which has been receiving over 300,000 calls every month.

Directories will be distributed from door to door every day except Sundays, he said. Distribution will begin in Gozo, where all subscribers will be given a copy by Saturday. Deliveries will be made between 9am and 6pm.

Maltese subscribers will then be given their copies between Tuesday 31 July and Saturday 12 August. Deliveries will be made between 9am and 8pm. Radio stations will broadcast details on when and where deliveries are being made.

Delivery personnel will be wearing identifiable Maltacom T-shirts and driving Maltacom delivery vans. Subscribers are urged to be at home when their directory is to be delivered, although copies will be placed on door-steps when residents are out. Each household will be given up to two copies.

Copies of the directory will be delivered separately to those organisations having more than 50 telephone lines, he said. These organisations and homes in suburbs will fall outside the delivery time-table.

The delivery personnel will also be collecting old issues of the directory to prepare them for recycling, Mr Muscat said. However, the company had not yet received any offers from private companies to recycle the paper, so Maltacom has approached the Environment Ministry for assistance.

Mr Muscat said the directory distribution system will be closely monitored by the company and the vans have been fitted with a Datatrak system to make them easy to locate.

The Telepage Call Centre has also been commissioned to phone a sample of families in each street to check that they have received the directory. People who did not receive their copy of the directory, have up to 25 August to inform Maltacom.

After 14 August, remaining directories will be available at Maltacom branches and local council offices, Mr Muscat said.

Mr Muscat said Maltacom had set up a Freephone 0800 772333 to deal with any queries or complaints. In August, information on the directory will be available on internet: www.maltacom.com. The directory will also be available for sale on CD Rom.