CNAP Caller ID trial to curb spam calls rolled out in limited form in India: Report

Telecom operators in India have reportedly started limited trials of Caller ID services in several regions of the country. Telecom companies are facing pressure from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Department of Telecom (DoT) to implement the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) feature, which is expected to help curb fake and fraudulent calls in the country. If the feature is eventually rolled out by these operators, customers in India will no longer have to rely on third-party caller ID applications.

CNAP testing begins in two regions of India

A report by the Times of India (via The Economic Times) says that telecom operators in India have begun testing the CNAP caller ID mapping service. TRAI had earlier sought to roll out CNAP on all mobile phones in the country, prompting some backlash from telcos.

According to the report, these “limited tests” of the new CNAP service are currently being conducted in Mumbai and Haryana. It is currently unclear which carriers are testing the system in these areas.

Both Airtel and Reliance Jio have cautioned against implementing CNAP in India, with the former telling the publication of the potential “technical and commercial challenges” associated with implementing CNAP, as well as the need to comply with privacy laws. Meanwhile, Jio has reportedly warned of issues such as “increased signaling load and possible impact on latency and interconnection issues”.

Caller ID CNAP: How it works

When the CNAP Caller ID service is enabled, the user’s mobile phone will display the subscriber’s phone number as well as their full name collected by the telco through the Customer Application Form (CAF) and verified during the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. The system is expected to help reduce the rise in unwanted spam and scam calls in the country.

TRAI has proposed implementation of the proposed CNAP system in India
Photo: TRAI

In a report published in February, TRAI had earlier recommended that telecom operators maintain a list of customer names and phone numbers that will allow them to use the service. However, the proposal has met with some opposition from telecom operators including Airtel, Vi and Reliance Jio.

One of the challenges with implementing CNAP on all mobile phones is the ability of phone manufacturers and software vendors to collect subscriber information on a large scale. Operators such as Airtel and Reliance Jio have also proposed to allow customers to connect to the CNAP service, making it mandatory for commercial and telemarketing numbers.