Caller ID Name (CNAM) Info:
FirstDigital Wiki · Telecom Services
Caller ID Name (CNAM)
General information on how Caller ID Name works, why it doesn't always display correctly, and the rules that govern what a CNAM entry can contain.
How CNAM Works
When you call someone, your number is transmitted with the call to the receiving party's telephone company. If the person you're calling has Caller ID service, they'll see your name and number.
In the USA, only the calling number is sent with the call. The called party's carrier looks up the name using that number — hopefully from the national database, though some carriers may use a different database of their choosing. Other countries have different methods for delivering the name, or none at all. In the USA, FirstDigital can set the Caller Name in the national database on the customer's behalf.
Why Your CNAM Name May Not Be Displayed Properly
For most phone carriers, there's a cost associated with either querying a third-party CNAM database or keeping their own CNAM database up to date. Some carriers have almost immediate access to the most current CNAM information, while others may not have access to it for several months or longer.
Matters are further complicated by the fact that carriers rely on more than 20 different CNAM databases that don't all contain the same data. Depending on the location and terminating carrier, some people you call may correctly see your CNAM while others may not.
CNAM Guidelines
At least two letters in the calling name field
No special characters
Cannot be all numbers
Must not exceed a maximum of 15 characters
Prohibited Content
To aid in enforcement of the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 — a federal law making it unlawful to "transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value" (the Act) — the telecommunications industry implemented guidelines defining criteria for unacceptable CNAM entries, in an effort to prevent any indication of impropriety. Prohibited content includes:
- Generic terms like "SALES TEAM," "CUST SERVICE," "N/A," or a generic geographic location like "CHICAGO, IL," "ATLANTA, GA," "DENVER, CO," etc.
- Any CNAM that includes indecent, profane, or otherwise offensive words
- CNAM content that impersonates another company's brand or intellectual property, or a government agency that one does not represent
- Other restricted words reserved for network use — "BLOCKED," "PRIVATE," "UNKNOWN," "RESTRICTED," "ANONYMOUS," "OUT OF AREA," etc.
- CNAM containing only numbers; at least one alpha character is required
- CNAM containing forbidden characters; only letters, numbers, periods, commas, and spaces are permitted
- Any CNAM longer than 15 characters (extra characters are truncated automatically)
Updating CNAM
If you'd like to update the CNAM for your numbers, reach out to our support team with the required template.
Email support@firstdigital.com