Verizon, like AT&T, is seeking to eventually make the printed White Pages telephone directory a thing of the past.

Last Friday, the company appealed to the New York State Public Service Commission to cease automatic delivery of the directory to residents in New York State.  It is the first among 40 phone companies serving New York to do so.

Verizon cites a Gallup study that suggests only 11 percent of households still use the printed White Pages, with the rest going online or using directory assistance to obtain listings.

New York State telecommunications law requires that all phone companies provide a free set of telephone directories to every subscriber in the state.  While phone companies earn millions from Yellow Pages advertising (which is why Verizon is not seeking to stop automatic delivery of those books), they technically lose money on residential listings found in the White Pages.

Verizon claims New York White Pages consume more than 5,000 tons of paper per year and that they are unwanted by many customers.

What the company does not say is that consumers can already request that automatic delivery of telephone directories be stopped.  Few consumers select to opt-out of directory delivery, however.

Verizon, like AT&T, proposes an opt-in system where a copy of the White Pages will only be dropped on New York doorsteps if a subscriber specifically requests one.  It will also be available on a CD-ROM or online.

Verizon is so confident of its forthcoming success with the Commission, it even included pre-written press releases in its filing announcing the imminent demise of the printed listings.

The prospect of the end of the New York White Pages made news in some pages of a different kind — in the New York Times:

In its petition to regulators, Verizon is emphasizing the environmental benefits of the move. Most of the cost savings would be realized by SuperMedia, the publisher of the directories, which once was a division of Verizon but is now a separate company.

Scott W. Klein, the chief executive of SuperMedia, which is based in Dallas, declined to say how many directories his company estimated it would still deliver in New York if distribution was no longer mandatory — or how much it would save. But, he added, “We’re not talking about millions and millions of dollars.”

SuperMedia would continue to print and distribute the real money-maker, the Yellow Pages, which charges businesses that want prominent display, and the business White Pages, which also generate revenue from display advertising, he said. Those directories would include listings for government offices.

Verizon’s proposal reflects technological progress and a new way of thinking in the telecommunications industry, Mr. Klein said.

Not long ago, he said, the industry’s attitude was, “By gosh, we’re going to deliver this book to you whether you want it or not.” Even if the Public Service Commission rejects Verizon’s proposal, New Yorkers who do not want the White Pages can notify the company that they want delivery halted.

“We made a conscious decision to make it easy for people to not get the book,” Mr. Klein said. “We only want to create and provide products that people want to use.”

Of course, the one group that never realizes any savings from an end to telephone book distribution are individual ratepayers.

Verizon has a similar request before telecom regulators in New Jersey.

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WICZ Binghamton No More White Pages in New York 5-10-10.flv[/flv]

WICZ-TV News in Binghamton was among several TV newscasts telling viewers across the state that the White Pages may be an endangered species.  (1 minute)