CLIN much ado about nothing

However, officials state that a gadget is available which, when attached to the telephone, can help in identifying the caller line. PGM Telephone Prithipal Singh is silent on the protocol or the specifications of the gadget. The cost, size, mode of connection or even applicability is also not known. quot;The seller would ensure that it works to the customers satisfactionquot;, officials reply. Whether the instrument is compatible with the existing telephone exchange, is again the subscribers8217; headache.

But what if a manufacturer sells the gadget and it doesn8217;t work? The answer is that some exchanges have the facility of CLIN and the DoT is willing to provide it. A consumer organisation, Chandigarh Telecom Subscribers Association CTSA, is also critical of the move. DoT has announced that those linked with the E10-B exchanges are being promised with the facility while those linked to the FETEX about half of the city are being denied the facility. quot;Protocol problemsquot; says the PGM.

Talk about caller line service being provided by pager and cellular companies and the PGM replies quot;They probably have the software to help in caller line identificationquot;.