India’s telecom operators have reportedly asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to clarify rules on displaying caller details for business and family mobile connections under the calling name presentation (CNAP) service currently being tested.
Operators are conducting inter- and intra-circle CNAP trials and have been receiving consumer queries on specific issues. Since business connections are issued in the name of companies rather than individuals, operators want clarity on whether the caller should appear as the company, the brand, or the actual user. A similar issue arises with family plans, where one individual takes multiple connections for family members. Telcos want to know if the display should show the main account holder or the specific user of the number.
In some cases, businesses prefer their brand name to be displayed, as it is more recognisable to customers. The confusion stems from the fact that CNAP displays details from the customer acquisition form (CAF) rather than the actual user of the number. The government will decide on implementation timelines once the ongoing trials conclude.
The DoT has been urging telcos to roll out CNAP quickly. The compulsory display of caller names aims to curb spam and scam calls by letting recipients know who is calling. However, operators have pointed out that 2G networks face technological challenges in supporting the service.
