TRAI has recently launched a new service for consumers. Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) identifies the caller. This means that when you receive a call, the name of the caller will also be visible along with the number. Both name and number will be visible. This service does not require internet, app or subscription. It is free and all users will benefit from it. If you are not getting this service now, you will get it in the coming days. Many people are considering it as a service like TrueCaller, but there are many differences between the two. Let us understand how CNAP works.
How does CNAP work?
TRAI has said that CNAP is a system that gives users the officially registered name of the caller. In other words, CNAP provides information in whose name a particular number is registered. If you have registered your number in your parent’s name, their name will appear along with the number when you call. However, this will not be the case for people who have your number saved in their contacts. On their phone, your number will appear with the name they saved it under. You do not need internet, app or any subscription to use this service. It is free and available to all users.
Currently, this service is working on 4G and 5G networks. It is possible that in the coming days it will become available on older models also. CNAP works at the network level directly through the telecom infrastructure. All telecom operators maintain a database of all the data associated with any phone number, such as in whose name the number is registered and KYC data. When someone makes a call, the network displays the name in which the number is registered. However, there are some challenges with this feature.
What are the challenges?
The biggest challenge with CNAP is its features. This service displays the name in which the number is registered and not the name of the person actually using the number. Because of this, sometimes it happens that when you get a call from a number, you see a name that is unknown to you. Sometimes, this name is different from the caller’s real name.
This may create the impression that it is a fraud call. It may be a scam call, but not every unknown call is necessarily fraudulent. While Truecaller shows you the name of the caller, CNAP shows the registered name. This means that information about spam calls is not easily available.
The name displayed on Truecaller also cannot be completely trusted, as users have the ability to edit that name. The problem with CNAP is that people are suddenly getting calls from unknown names. Earlier, only the number was visible in these calls, but now the name is also visible. It is possible that people will get used to it in the coming days, but this will not easily solve the problem of spam and scam calls.
