The telecom operators are working to publish an online directory of their landline customers by September 15, 2014. It is in accordance with the March 2013 order of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to publish online directory. The delay has been due to the privacy issues that needed to be addressed in compiling the data on landline customers.

In this regard, Connect Broadband, a group company of Videocon operating in Punjab, has published name and address of its landline customers who agreed to be in the directory listing. Airtel has also been circulating text messages to its customers for listing their names in directory with a choice to opt out.

There are about 28 million landline subscribers in the country with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, with a total of 80 per cent of the total market share. Airtel has about 12 per cent of the total landline customers, Tata Teleservices Limited with 5.6 per cent, and Reliance Communications has 4.33 per cent of the market share.