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Caller ID
Caller ID
(Caller Identity Display or CID) is a telephony
network service that transmits the caller's
telephone number to the called party's telephone
equipment during the ringing signal or when the
call is being set up but before the call is
answered. Typically, CID is transmitted
digitally using Bell 202 modulation between the
first and second rings.
Caller ID is also known as Calling Line
Identification (CLI) when provided via an ISDN
connection to a PABX, while in some countries,
the terms Caller Display, Calling Line
Identification Presentation (CLIP) or just
Calling Line Identity (CLID) are used. CID
originated with automatic number identification
(ANI) in the U.S. This is not to say that CID
and ANI are the same thing. Caller ID is made up
of two separate entities: the calling number and
the billing (or subscriber) name. When a phone
switch sends out a number, the remote telephone
company is responsible for looking up the name
of the subscriber in a common database.
Additionally, nothing ensures that the number
sent by a switch is the actual number where the
call originated. It is very easy for a telephone
switch to send any digit string it requests to
the system. For example, if the originating PBX
(say, from an office with an ISDN PRI line)
sends out 2024561414 as the ANI, then the remote
caller ID box will display the White House on
the terminal device.
Subscribers can prevent their numbers from being
displayed, or "blocked", by dialing a special
code before making a call. This means that
equipment with Caller ID will simply display the
word 'PRIVATE' or 'WITHHELD'. Alternatively,
Caller ID can be blocked permanently, and can
only be released on a call-by-call basis by
dialing a special code. This is the case in some
countries with people who choose not to be
listed in the local telephone directory.
Similarly, some countries have a service known
as anonymous caller rejection, meaning that
calls made from a line in which the subscriber's
number is blocked, will not be accepted. Some
telephone companies also route anonymous calls
to a service which requires the caller to
announce him or her self, and then requires the
called party to accept or reject the call.
Blocking the number is referred to as Calling
Line Identification Restriction (CLIR).
Emergency services will most likely be able to
show the restricted number using a service
called Calling Line Identification Restriction
Override (CLIRO).
Generally, Caller ID between different countries
is not transmitted, meaning that the equipment
with Caller ID will simply display either
'UNAVAILABLE' or 'INTERNATIONAL'. However,
Caller ID between countries is becoming more
widely available, meaning that a telephone
number in another country will be displayed,
complete with the country calling code.
Telemarketing organisations often block the
display of their calling numbers. Some states
and countries require telemarketers to display a
contact number that can accept complaints, as
the individual caller numbers may not be able to
be called.
Many Internet service providers (ISPs) providing
dial-up access require the customer to use CLI
to prevent abuse of the account by unauthorised
callers.
Type II caller ID also works with call waiting.
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