Jingle Networks, operator of the 1-800-Free-411 service, just announced that they now control 6% of the U.S. market in 411 calls. This is up from 1.5% a year ago.
About 2.6 billion mobile 411 calls are made in the U.S. each year, and is a $7 billion/year market. Jingle reports that they received 17 million calls in February, and have had 170 million calls total (they just recently announced their 100 millionth call last November).
The company has raised a boatload of cash – over $60 million to date – and AT&T recently started competing with them.
Jingle makes money from short advertisements played to the caller before the requested phone number is delivered. Given their stellar growth, many consumers are obviously willing to give up 12 seconds of their life to avoid 411 fees that range up to $3 per call.
Last October I interviewed Jingle CEO George Garrick and investor Josh Kopelman. Listen to the podcast over at TalkCrunch.
On a related note, Tellme’s new mobile voice activated 411 product is also free and absolutely stunning.
[Update: Originally, this post said 1-800-FEE411 had 6 percent market share of all U.S. 411 calls. The company later clarified that figure was for mobile 411 calls. Their market share for total U.S. directory assistance calls at the time of this post was 4 percent.}