The Hindu Business Line : Mobile operators block facility to hide caller ID

MUCH to the discomfort of cellular subscribers across the country, mobile operators have started blocking the facility that enables them to hide their phone numbers while making a call.

This follows concerns raised by the security agencies, as well as the new interconnection usage charge (IUC) regime in place, because of which the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had directed operators to stop offering this service.

According to industry sources, the blocking of this facility is not confined to subscribers of any one operator or circle but is being implemented across the country in a phased manner.

It is for this reason that while AirTel customers in Chennai received a letter from the operator a couple of days back on the issue, Delhi subscribers are yet to receive any information.

The sources pointed out that the TRAI had directed all the service providers a couple of months back not to tamper with the caller line identification (CLI) systems and reject all the calls received without CLI on their respective networks.

As a result, if one tries to activate `hide caller ID' on the handset, it does not work.

Instructions have also been issued to the operators to stop this facility for subscribers who pay a monthly fee to maintain their secrecy.

If the subscriber wants to retain this facility, the service provider needs to be given valid reasons for doing so.

In other words, VIPs and businessmen who mostly avail themselves of this facility can inform their service providers and continue to hide their caller IDs. The onus of preventing misuse for "anti-national" purposes is on the service provider.

The sources said that the authority had suggested the setting up of an encrypted Web site that would provide details of such subscribers for scrutiny by the security agencies.

The operators are yet to launch such a Web site, while subscribers are being randomly denied this facility. According to TRAI officials, the move to restrict this facility was not being enforced with an intention to hinder the privacy of mobile subscribers.

Rather, the security agencies had sought such a restriction because of the large-scale misuse, especially with respect to international calls being made to foment trouble within the country.

Since such callers could not be traced, it has been decided to bar the facility for international calls, while allowing select subscribers to retain the service for domestic calls.

They also said that one of the other main considerations for the restriction was the IUC regime operational now.

Since different carriage and terminating charges have been prescribed for calls made from mobile phones, without the caller ID data records there is possibility of disputes in the revenue that is to be shared between operators.

By restricting this facility, such disputes are expected to come down since the data can be verified in case of disputes.

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Mobile operators block facility to hide caller ID