Is there a need to introduce the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) supplementary service in the telecommunication networks in India? Should the CNAP service be mandatorily activated in respect of each telephone subscriber? Should the name identity information provided by telephone consumers in the Customer Acquisition Forms (CAFs) be used for the purpose of CNAP? What measures should be taken to ensure delivery of CNAP to the called party without a considerable increase in the call set up time? These are some of the issues that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is looking to deal with in its new consultation paper which seeks to propose a way to identify callers in order to help users avoid spam calls from unregistered telemarketers. The paper is open for consultation till December 27, 2022, and one can send their counter comments till January 10, 2022. The feedback can be sent to Akhilesh Trivedi, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing), to the following email— advmn@trai.gov.in. The comments and counter-comments will be posted on TRAI’s website. Why it matters: The paper is important as it looks to address the problem of unsolicited commercial communication which remains a nuisance despite a do-not-disturb (DND) registry. The rapid proliferation of these calls necessitates a cogent policy on how telephone numbers can be identified without compromising privacy. What are the issues highlighted in the consultation paper? What is Calling Name Presentation (CNAP): It is a supplementary service offered to the called party which provides the name information associated with…
