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Telecom regulator TRAI has taken a major step to curb online fraud (cyber fraud) perpetrated in the name of government agencies and private companies using standard 10-digit mobile numbers. On Monday, TRAI made it mandatory for electricity, water, LPG, city gas, courier, and logistics companies to use the '1601' number series for service and transactional calls made to their customers.

**What is the 1601 number series, and who will receive it in the first phase?**
Until now, the '1600' number series was reserved exclusively for banking, financial services, and government departments. However, given the sensitive nature of BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) calls, a separate '1601' series has been created for other service providers to avoid customer confusion. The first phase includes electricity distribution companies, water supply service providers, LPG distributors, and city gas distribution companies, as well as firms involved in courier, express logistics, parcel delivery, and freight transport. Notably, TRAI has prohibited the use of '1601' series numbers for promotional calls.

**Telecom companies given 90 days**
To strengthen cybersecurity, TRAI has issued strict directives to telecom companies stating that '1601' series numbers must be allocated directly to eligible companies; aggregators or intermediaries will not receive these numbers. Consequently, telecom companies can only issue these numbers after conducting thorough due diligence and obtaining written assurances from the companies. Additionally, telecom operators have been instructed to complete the registration and migration of all eligible utility companies to this new series within 90 days.

**What will the numbers signify?** Number Series | Authorized Entities | Call Type
140 XXXX XXX | Registered business houses or brands only | Promotional calls
1600 XXX XXX | Banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, and government agencies | Important service and transactional calls
1601 XXX XXX | Electricity, water, LPG, courier, and logistics providers | Service, delivery, and transactional calls

TRAI's Stance on the Truecaller Controversy
A controversy recently arose when caller ID apps like Truecaller displayed 'Spam' tags on numbers belonging to the 140 and 1600 series. TRAI has now clarified that no 'Spam' tag should be applied to numbers in the 1600 and 1601 series. These numbers are used by banks and essential service providers to send transaction confirmations, security alerts, and important notifications to customers.

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