Caller name display pilot to begin this week on mobile networks; 2G users left out

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom operators to launch the pilot rollout of the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service within a week, marking a key step toward curbing spam and fraudulent calls in India, as per a Moneycontrol report. However, the move will initially exclude 2G subscribers, as outdated network infrastructure continues to limit implementation.

In a communication sent to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) earlier this month, the DoT said that the absence of compatible software patches and upgrades makes it technically infeasible to introduce CNAP on circuit-switched 2G networks.

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“Due to a multi-technology, multi-vendor environment and legacy network, TSPs reported non-availability of software patches and other technical upgrades required for implementation of CNAP service in circuit-switched networks,” the DoT said.

The CNAP feature, similar to caller ID systems used by third-party apps, will display the name of the caller on a recipient’s phone screen, even if the number isn’t saved. The initiative is part of a broader push to enhance consumer trust and combat the growing menace of spam and scam calls.

While Reliance Jio is expected to move swiftly- having built its CNAP technology in-house and operating entirely on 4G and 5G - Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) face constraints tied to their older networks. Both have partnered with Nokia to deploy the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) platform nationwide, a critical enabler for CNAP, spam analytics, and international call filtering.

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As a result, CNAP will initially be available only to 4G and 5G subscribers, leaving out a significant base of 2G feature phone users - particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.

Despite these limitations, the DoT has decided that CNAP will be enabled by default for all users, with the option to disable it if desired. The pilot’s performance and feedback are expected to shape the national rollout strategy in the coming months.