What happened
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a direction that starts phase-wise use of 1601-series numbers for service and transactional voice calls by entities in sectors other than Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) and by non-Government entities.
TRAI separates these non-BFSI, non-Government service and transactional calls from BFSI and Government voice calls by linking BFSI and Government calls to the earlier 1600-series numbering identity.
TRAI initiated the rollout through Phase-I. TRAI says Phase-I covers Utilities and Logistics & courier services. TRAI also requires TSPs to migrate and onboard eligible entities within a fixed time limit, after verification.
Background and earlier position
Entities in the BFSI sector have widely adopted 1600-series numbers for similar categories of voice calls. Based on stakeholder consultations, TRAI has now started creating a separate numbering identity for non-BFSI and non-Government sectors using 1601-series numbers.
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