The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed all telecom operators to display the caller’s name, not just the number, on the receiver’s phone screen across their 4G and 5G networks starting November 1.The DoT’s “calling name presentation” (CNAP) service is aimed at strengthening caller identification and helping curb online fraud by displaying the caller’s name alongside incoming call information. In a circular dated October 13, the department said operators had conducted trials for the introduction of the CNAP on 4G and higher-generation networks.“All telecommunication service providers… are hereby instructed to introduce calling name presentation service in their networks across all service areas with effect from November 1, 2026,” the circular stated.The DoT said the rollout of CNAP on wireless terrestrial networks operating on 2G and 3G technologies, as well as public switched telephone networks, would be considered separately after further examination.Under the system, recipients will first see the name saved in their contact list, followed by the name identified by the telecom operator with which the caller is registered. For domestic calls, the caller’s identity will be displayed, while calls originating from overseas will be marked as international calls. For bulk business connections, the service will display the entity’s preferred name. This may be a trademark registered in the user’s name, as reflected in the records of the relevant government department, or the trade name registered on the goods and services portal.For new connections, telecom operators will be required to record bulk subscribers’ preferred names in the customer application form, subscriber data record and supporting documents.For existing connections, the originating telecom service provider (TSP) must establish a mechanism through which users can apply to have their preferred names recorded in subscriber data records. Such names may be updated after the application has been examined and the details duly verified, the circular said.However, the names of subscribers who have opted for the Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) facility under existing rules will not be displayed through the CNAP service.