The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked telecom companies to speed up trials for implementing the caller ID display system, known as Caller Name Presentation (CNAP), in a bid to reduce cyber fraud. According to a Moneycontrol report citing unnamed sources, CNAP will be introduced in phases in the coming months. The DoT has instructed operators to complete inter-operator trials and submit their findings by April 18.
Currently, trials are ongoing in states like Haryana and Maharashtra. While Vodafone Idea is set to begin its trials shortly under DoT supervision, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have already completed theirs. Initially, the CNAP service will be available to users on 4G and 5G networks. However, 2G users may experience delays due to the high cost of necessary infrastructure upgrades.
Airtel and Vodafone Idea have partnered with Nokia to deploy the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) across the country. IMS supports CNAP along with advanced analytics such as spam detection and international call filtering. A source quoted in the report noted that Nokia’s solution is already live on both operators’ networks. In contrast, Jio has developed its CNAP technology internally, benefiting from its fully 4G/5G user base.
One challenge for broader rollout is that older 2G systems cannot support CNAP, prompting Airtel and Vi to raise the issue with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the DoT. Successful nationwide implementation of CNAP also hinges on telcos sharing caller information databases, as mandated by the government.
This development follows a DoT directive issued in January, urging telcos to introduce caller ID features to combat spam. At the time, the telecom industry expressed concerns over potential privacy implications for users.
Additionally, the DoT is preparing to launch the second phase of its centralized system to block spoofed international calls, aimed at tackling fraudulent activities like fake threats of disconnection and impersonation of officials. Meanwhile, TRAI is working on a revamped version of its “Do Not Disturb” (DND) app and is expected to finalize stricter regulations to curb spam calls and messages. This follows TRAI’s earlier move to blacklist 50 entities for persistent spamming.
