Telekom Ends 11833 Directory Assistance After Over a Century

The service, once a staple of German communication, was discontinued due to dwindling demand in the digital age.

Telekom officially shut down its 11833 directory assistance service on December 1, 2024, citing a 99% drop in usage over the past three decades.
The service, which handled 550 million calls annually in 1995, saw just two million calls per year recently due to the rise of smartphones and internet search engines.
Additional services like the telephone wake-up call were also discontinued, marking another step in the decline of traditional telecom offerings.
Critics, including social organizations, have raised concerns about the impact on elderly, low-income, and disabled individuals who may lack access to digital alternatives.
Telekom employees from the discontinued service will either transition to other roles within the company or retire, with no job losses reported.