Mandatory call name to be displayed soon to curb Spam: TRAI

TRAI has proposed that all network operators deploy the caller name display service on mobile phones and that all smartphone manufacturers enable this function within a set time frame, as an additional measure to monitor nuisance calls.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India stated in its recommendations on February 23, 2024, that “the government should issue proper instructions for making CNAP feature in all devices sold in India, after a suitable cutoff date, say, six months from the date of notification.”

This refers to the calling name presentation (CNAP) service. Before CNAP is deployed countrywide in India, trials in a single licensed service area will be done, in which all operators must participate.

The TRAI has launched a consultation on the deployment of a caller identification service that requires the recipient to submit a query to the provider’s central subscriber database from which the call originated.

Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has declared that the recipient must identify the caller. However, the regulator has not addressed how OTT providers are implementing the CNAP service.

It also recommended that businesses or telemarketers include the name of the calling entity in their 140-number series, as well as the ability to select a “preferred name,” which might be a trademark or a unique Indian name.