Local Telephone Company to End Printed Phone Book Service | Local

NEWPORT, N.Y. – It’s the sign of our times. A local telephone provider will no longer be printing phonebooks for its entire customer base. 

The New York State Public Service Commission granted Newport Telephone Company permission to end the printing and delivering of directories.

“Today’s orders authorize the companies to supply free on-line digital format directories and to print directories for customers who request them without charge. The companies are required to notify every customer and display information on their sites on how customers can access the online directories and/or print directories,” officials from the Commission said in a press release.

Rory M. Christian, Chair of the Commission, said that it makes sense to stop using old-fashioned phone books from an economic and environmental perspective. 

“Customers today flip through the internet for phone numbers; they no longer bother to page through a phone book,” Christian said. 

There are many more options online than on paper for searching for a number.

“The Commission has allowed similar requests by other telephone companies in the past to discontinue blanket distribution. According to a recent statement, 22 small phone companies continue to provide telephone directories on a blanket basis to their customers. 

The other phone companies granted permission to stop printing and distributing printed books include Germantown Telephone Company, Cassadaga Telephone Corporation and Dunkirk and Fredonia Telephone Company. 

The Commission states that the companies “serve approximately 5,500 clients in Chautauqua and Columbia counties, Herkimer County, Hamilton County and Oneida county.” 

According to the Newport Telephone Company website, they provide portions of Deerfield, Herkimer, Schuyler, Fairfield, Newport, Russia, Ohio, Norway and Morehouse with service.