Can CNAP Services be an answer to unwanted marketing calls or frauds? TRAI, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended the introduction of the Calling Name Presentation Service in the Indian Telecom Network recently. But why it is the need of the time? Let’s find out.
India is just behind China in terms of telecom subscriber base. In December 2023 the total number of wireless subscribers in India rose from 1,154.17 million in November 2023 to 1,158.49 million. That is a 0.37% growth rate. With so many telecom subscribers an alarming spike has been observed in frauds and unwanted marketing calls as well.
Soon you may see the name of the caller, even if it’s not saved in your contact list on the mobile screen. The name will be the same that is on the official documents submitted to get a SIM card or mobile connection.
CNAP is necessary
Caller Name Authentication Protocol (CNAP) is crucial in today’s telecommunications landscape due to several reasons. Here we have compiled a few:
- It ensures the security of important calls by preventing genuine calls from going unanswered. With CNAP in place, callers can be verified, reducing the likelihood of missed connections and improving overall communication efficiency.
- CNAP helps in blocking spammers by providing subscribers with the name and identity of the caller. It enables individuals to make informed decisions about answering calls, especially those from unknown numbers that may potentially be spam or telemarketing calls.
- CNAP addresses the rising concerns surrounding robocalls, spam calls, and fraudulent calls. CNAP helps mitigate the risks associated with these malicious activities, thereby enhancing the security and reliability of telecommunications networks.
Recommendations made by TRAI regarding CNAP
- Utilize the name identity information provided by telephone subscribers in the Customer Application Form (CAF) as the basis for Caller Name Authentication Protocol (CNAP) implementation.
- Issue appropriate instructions by the government for the inclusion of the CNAP feature in all devices sold in India, following a suitable cut-off date, upon acceptance of the recommendations.
- Provide subscriber entities holding bulk and business connections with the option to present their ‘preferred name’ instead of the name listed in the Customer Application Form (CAF).
- Allow the ‘preferred name’ to be the ‘trademark name’ registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the ‘trade name’ registered with the GST Council, or any other unique name duly registered with the Government, provided the subscriber entity can furnish necessary documents proving ownership of such name.
Some experts have raised concerns too
Implementing CNAP comes with inherent risks that need to be carefully addressed. Firstly, there are technical complexities involved in its implementation, which could pose challenges during deployment and integration with existing systems. Moreover, if not implemented correctly, CNAP could potentially lead to privacy breaches, exposing sensitive subscriber information to unauthorized parties.
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