The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has unveiled comprehensive recommendations aimed at enhancing business caller identification and revising the National Numbering Plan to improve telecommunication services across the country. The recommendations support India’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its digital identity infrastructure and combat telecommunications fraud.
A key component of the new recommendations is the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service, which will display caller names to recipients. The feature builds upon TRAI’s previous CNAP initiatives and will enable subscribers to make more informed decisions about incoming calls and help reduce unwanted communications.
Under the new guidelines, business entities making calls must display their genuine identity. Organizations with bulk and business connections will have the option to present a “preferred name,” which could be their trademark name registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, trade name registered with the GST Council, or another uniquely registered governmental identifier. The requirement is part of India’s broader Sanchar Saathi initiative, which aims to enhance mobile security and reduce telecom fraud.
The recommendations include significant changes to number management systems. For landline users, TRAI proposes implementing a 10-digit numbering system analogous to mobile numbers. Fixed-line to fixed-line calls will require prefixing with ‘0’, while other calling patterns between fixed and mobile lines will remain unchanged.
For Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices, TRAI recommends transitioning from 10-digit to 13-digit numbers to accommodate future growth. The authority has also established guidelines for inactive numbers, stipulating that telecom providers should not deactivate mobile or landline numbers until after 90 days of non-usage, with mandatory deactivation following one year of inactivity.
The recommendations include implementation of stronger caller ID verification methods, including CLI Authentication and Distributed Certification Authority frameworks aligned with ITU standards. The approach strengthens India’s existing Aadhaar-based biometric verification requirements for SIM cards, creating a more robust telecommunications security infrastructure. Special shortcodes, such as emergency numbers, will be reserved for government agencies and subject to regular audits.
TRAI emphasizes the importance of swift implementation of these measures, particularly the CNAP service, to address issues related to Unsolicited Commercial Communication and spam calls. The recommendations follow the successful deployment of AI-powered spam detection systems by major telecom providers in India, demonstrating the country’s comprehensive approach to tackling unwanted communications.
Sources: CNBC TV18, Blitz India Media, Times of India, Zee Business
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