61.   To make things more complicated, imagine a world where there was no single directory assistance to find a telephone number.

62.   With competition calling, Ma Bell is looking to shave costs or make money on directory assistance by farming out the service to third-party providers like Excell.

63.   A call to the Clarksville, Tennessee, home phone number provided by directory assistance reached a recording saying the number had been disconnected.

64.   As Internet services and small companies move into directory assistance, the big companies have moved to cut prices.

65.   Calls to directory assistance went unanswered.

66.   Callers frustrated when they get the wrong number or bad information from directory assistance could benefit from action taken by regulators Wednesday to make that service more competitive.

67.   Competition is also getting an assist from government, which forced local phone companies in January to make their databases available to other companies offering directory assistance.

68.   Directory assistance in Leesburg and Umatilla had no listing for Lindsay.

69.   Directory assistance said no telephone listings were available for hospitals in the area.

70.   For that fee, a competitor could use Telekom data to provide directory assistance, telephone books and CD-roms.