Telcos begin caller ID service trials

Telcos begin caller ID service trials

Following pressure from the government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), telecom operators have reportedly begun trials of caller ID services in a few areas.

As per a report in the Times of India, telcos have begun "limited trials" in Mumbai and Haryana. Quoting sources, the paper claimed that the operators are planning to add more cities over the coming weeks.

The CNAP (Calling Name Presentation) is being seen as a way to curb spam and fraud calls, which have seen a marked increase in recent times.

"Trials are beginning on limited numbers as we try and assess the feasibility of CNAP, where not only the number but even the name of the caller will be displayed during incoming calls. We will be sharing the results of the trials with DoT so that a practical and justifiable view of the proposed service can be taken," a senior executive in a top telco told TOI, requesting anonymity.

TRAI had earlier said that the government should issue appropriate instructions for making CNAP available on all mobile phones sold in India after a suitable cut-off date from the date of notification.

The telecom operators, however, had opposed the move, citing technical challenges.

Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio has said that this should "not be a mandatory service," adding that "there will be many technical issues like increased load on signalling and possible impact on latency and interconnection-related issues."

Airtel said there are "likely to be techno-commercial challenges" involved in implementing the measure and added that CNAP would need to adhere to privacy laws. "Privacy is an important consideration, and the framework is going to have to address the genuine concerns of users who may not be keen to share their details."

Voda Idea said CNAP should be introduced "as an optional service" and should not be mandated upon telcos.

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