The new 1344 phone number information service began operations yesterday. The new directory assistance center will provide the caller with all the phone numbers for anyone from all of Israel's communications companies - cellular and landline.

The implementation of a unified source for all telephone numbers is a result of a decision made by the Communications Ministry, and its minister Ariel Atias.

Bezeq will operate the service. Cellular companies signed an agreement with Bezeq on the matter, and therefore, there will not be any competition between companies for the service.

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The 1344 service will operate in addition to Bezeq's own 144 directory information services, which will continue as before. The other firms will pay Bezeq for providing the service.

The cost for the customer for a call to 1344 will be NIS 1.81 including VAT - exactly the same as the price charged by Bezeq today for its own 144 services.

The new 1344 center will provide numbers for any fixed or mobile phone subscribers from all operators.

Bezeq said that the call center will operate with almost all of the information from the start, and the remainder will be added soon.

If a customer has phone numbers from more than one company, the information will be presented in a random fashion so as not to favor any specific company.

A survey conducted by the Geocartography Institute for the Communications Ministry showed that 90 percent of the Jewish sector, and 97 percent of the Arab sector, had never used cellular phone companies' directory assistance services.

Only 51 percent of the Jewish sector uses Bezeq's 144 services, while only 34 percent of the Arab sector does so.