TRAI Issues Comprehensive Recommendations on Revision of National Numbering Plan

The comprehensive reforms, especially in fixed-line services and M2M communications, are expected to foster greater efficiency, security, and flexibility within the telecom ecosystem.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released its detailed recommendations on the 'Revision of National Numbering Plan,' aimed at ensuring efficient utilization and adequate availability of numbering resources to meet the growing demands of India's telecommunication ecosystem.

Telecommunication Identifiers (TIs) and numbering resources play a critical role in uniquely identifying telecom users, services, networks, and equipment. In the current digital age, where billions of interconnected devices and users must be addressed, the efficient management of these resources is vital for universal accessibility and the reliable delivery of telecommunication services.

Background:

TRAI's recommendations come in response to a reference letter from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), No. 16-16/2022-AS-III/123/233 dated September 29, 2022. The DoT sought TRAI's recommendations to resolve constraints related to the availability of fixed-line numbering resources, driven by rapid growth and the evolving National Numbering Plan.

The scope of the DoT's request included examining the Fixed-line numbering scheme, Level-1 short-code resources, Service Control Point (SCP) codes, National Signalling Point (SP) Codes for signalling, Mobile Country Code-Mobile Network Code (MCC-MNC) for Captive Non-Public Networks (CNPN), M2M numbering resources, Intelligent Network Services, and Number Portability Codes (Location Routing Numbers).

In line with this, TRAI issued a Consultation Paper on 'Revision of National Numbering Plan' on June 6, 2024. Public comments and counter-comments from stakeholders were invited and are available on the TRAI website. An Open House Discussion (OHD) was subsequently held on October 8, 2024, via video conference.

Key Recommendations:

1. Charges on Numbering Resources:

   • No additional charges or financial disincentives on numbering resources are recommended at this stage.
   • The DoT should monitor the annual usage of numbering resources allocated to Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). Unutilized resources may be withdrawn if necessary.

2. Addressing Fixed-line Numbering Resource Constraints:

   • Migrate from Short Distance Charging Area (SDCA)-based schemes to License Service Area (LSA)-based 10-digit closed numbering schemes for fixed-line services to unlock additional resources.
   • All fixed-line to fixed-line calls must be dialed using a prefix '0', followed by the STD code and subscriber number.
   • Dialing patterns for fixed-to-mobile, mobile-to-fixed, and mobile-to-mobile calls will remain unchanged.
   • Existing subscriber numbers will remain the same.
   • TSPs are given six months to implement the new numbering scheme.
   • Within five years, adopt a 10-digit fixed-line numbering scheme using a Fixed-line Location Routing Number (FLRN) code, enabling nationwide LSA-based numbering resources and facilitating fixed-line number portability.

3. Measures to Curb UCC, Spam Calls, and CLI Spoofing:

   • The DoT should expedite the implementation of TRAI's recommendations on 'Introduction of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) Service in Indian Telecommunication Network', dated February 23, 2024.
   • CNAP supplementary services should be implemented for all Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Primary Rate Interface (PRI) calls terminating on mobile networks.
   • To prevent CLI (Call Line Identification) spoofing and tampering, the CLI Authentication framework and Distributed Certification Authority framework should be implemented, in accordance with ITU recommendations Q.3057 and Q.3062.

4. Timeline for Deactivation of Numbering Resources:

   • No mobile or fixed-line connections shall be deactivated by TSPs until 90 days of non-usage have elapsed.
   • All mobile and fixed-line connections that remain inactive after 90 days of non-usage must be mandatorily deactivated by TSPs after an additional 365 days.

5. Numbering Resources for Mobile and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Services:

   • The existing 13-digit M2M numbering resources are deemed sufficient to meet both current and future demands.
   • The DoT should expedite the migration of all SIM-based M2M connections currently using 10-digit mobile numbering series to the 13-digit M2M communication format.

6. Level-1 Shortcodes:

   • Level-1 shortcodes should be allocated free of charge and exclusively to Government entities.
   • Annual utilization audits of shortcodes must be conducted, and inactive shortcodes should be withdrawn after consultation with the user entities.

These recommendations aim to optimize the use of numbering resources, enhance service reliability, and support the growing telecommunication demands across India. The comprehensive reforms, especially in fixed-line services and M2M communications, are expected to foster greater efficiency, security, and flexibility within the telecom ecosystem.

For more detailed information, the recommendations have been published on the TRAI website at www.trai.gov.in.

Contact for Clarifications: Shri Abdul Kayum, Advisor (Broadband and Policy Analysis), TRAI Phone: +91-11-20907757