India to revamp numbering system to free up resources and cut spam calls

February 06, 2025 12:23 PM

Mobile device displaying potential spam call

India’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) has announced a major overhaul of the country’s telecom numbering system to tackle resource shortages, improve number portability, and reduce spam calls.

The TRAI unveiled a series of recommendations to free up-numbering resources and curb spam calls, including shifting fixed-line numbers to a 10-digit format similar to mobile numbers and forcing telecom providers to deactivate unused numbers after one year.

This move is part of TRAI’s long-term efforts to modernise India’s telecom infrastructure and includes implementing stronger anti-spam measures, including encouraging the introduction of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) which would display a caller’s name.

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The TRAI called the country’s existing numbering system “obsolete” and “inadequate” to support the unprecedented growth of India's mobile market.

India’s current numbering framework only covers fixed-line and mobile numbering but lacks allocation provisions for Location Routing Numbers (LRN), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) identifiers, and Signaling Point (SP) codes.

To address the shortcomings, the TRAI recommends extending the numbering framework to ensure there is an efficient allocation of numbering resources amid the increasing adoption of 5G and IoT devices.

The recommendations include migrating all SIM-based Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connections to a 13-digit numbering system to provide adequate resources for the growing IoT market segment.

The TRAI also urged annual audits of shortcodes, allowing only government entities to use Level-1 shortcodes free of charge, and withdrawing inactive ones.

Additionally, the regulator pushed for stricter caller authentication measures to combat spoofing, recommending the implementation of CLI (Caller Line Identification) authentication and a distributed Certification Authority framework in line with international telecom security standards.

The TRAI said that through the recommendations, India’s Department of Telecommunications aims to “better manage and allocate numbering resources and ensure a sustainable numbering framework as subscriber numbers grow”.

“Much like spectrum, numbering resources are finite and require periodic revisions to accommodate unforeseen growth and emerging services,” TRAI stated. “A meticulous assessment of numbering resource utilisation and prudent policy decisions is essential to maintain a sufficient reserve for sustainable telecom growth.”