New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom operators to introduce a service displaying callers' names on 4G and 5G mobile networks from November 1, 2026, in a move aimed at curbing online fraud. The facility, known as Calling Name Presentation (CNAP), will enable recipients to identify incoming callers using information maintained by telecom service providers.
In a circular dated October 13, the department said operators had conducted trials to introduce CNAP on 4G and higher-generation networks. It instructed all service providers to roll out the facility across their respective service areas from November 1. The circular clarified that implementing the service on older 2G and 3G networks, as well as public switched telephone networks, would be considered separately after further examination.
Under the proposed system, recipients will see the name saved in their contact list, followed by the name identified by the telecom operator with which the caller is registered. Domestic calls will display the caller's identity, while calls originating overseas will be marked as international calls.
For bulk business connections, the displayed name can be a registered trademark belonging to the user or a trade name recorded on the goods and services portal.
Telecom operators must collect the preferred names of new bulk subscribers through their application forms, subscriber records and supporting documents. Existing subscribers will be allowed to apply to update their preferred names, subject to examination and verification by the originating telecom operator.
However, the names of subscribers who have opted for Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR), which prevents their identities from being displayed under existing rules, will remain hidden under CNAP.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.