TRAI Begins Phase-Wise Rollout of 1601-Series

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a direction on 10 August 2026 for the phase-wise implementation of the 1601-series numbering system for service and transactional voice calls. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has allocated the 1601-series for sectors other than Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) and Government, which already use the 1600-series.

Numbering Series in Indian Telecom

India uses dedicated numbering series for specific categories of calls under the National Numbering Plan. The 1600-series is used by BFSI entities and Government entities, while the 1601-series has been assigned for other eligible service and transactional callers.

Phase-I Coverage and Eligible Sectors

Under Phase-I, the 1601-series will cover utilities and logistics-related entities. The utilities sector includes electricity distributors, water suppliers, city gas distributors, and LPG distributors, along with courier and logistics firms.

Verification and Allocation Rules

TRAI directed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to complete verification, onboarding, and migration of eligible Phase-I entities within 90 days of the order. The 1601-series numbers must be allocated directly to eligible business entities after TSP verification, and allocation to intermediaries or aggregators is prohibited.

Use Restrictions for 1601-Series Numbers

TRAI prohibited the use of 1601-series numbers for promotional voice calls. Entities using the series must submit an undertaking that the numbers will be used only for service and transactional purposes.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was established under the TRAI Act, 1997.
• The Department of Telecommunications functions under the Ministry of Communications.
• Dedicated numbering series are used in India to separate transactional calls from ordinary 10-digit mobile numbers.
• Impersonation fraud often uses spoofed or unfamiliar numbers, which makes call identification a telecom security issue.

The 1600-series is already used for BFSI and Government calls in India. The 1601-series is intended for service and transactional calls from eligible non-BFSI sectors.