Call displays "Out of Area"

[bigtee959]

I have some users who complain that when the cal home it shows "out of area" on thier caller ID display. I know its the CNAM database but is ther any wahy to confirm the information is correct or is it possible to trace a call from start to finish checking where the name gets dropped or never added.
Thanks

T

Terence Phillips
Telecommunication Specialist

 

[kwing112000]

i would think your telco may be able to help with this. it may be that you have different carriers involved and they dont have the databases updated.

 

[SYQUEST]

There are several factors that can affect whether the name (CNAM) shows on the called party's CID equipment. The name part is the last item added to the call process when a call is placed. This is done in the End Office (EO) serving the called phone number. If the service provider is participating in the name lookup then it "may" be provided. The lookup is done by the EO switch in the LIDB, Line Information DataBase. This database is maintained by Telcordia, and IS done on a subscrition basis for the carriers that want to provide the name (CNAM) for calls they handle. If the carrier or service provider does NOT subscribe to this service, NO name will show up on the CID!

If the LIDB is not updated then nothing is provided in the CID info for the called party. The LIDB is the only database that contains any name info for CID. So no name in LIDB, no name on CID.

It can be a Class of Service item for CID, some providers charge extra for the name on CID. Most nowadays, include it with the CID feature.

Lastly, if the originating party's service or switch or Class of Service (OUTWATS) does not support this feature or SS7, then the called party will receive "Out of Area" or "Unavailable" on their CID equipment.

Hope this helps!

....JIM....

 

[ISDNman]

Furthermore, there are multiple databases and any given carrier only uses one.

 

[SYQUEST]

Hi ISDNman,

Can you elaborate on the multiple databases?

Are you refering to the NPACs?

....JIM....

 

[HarrisD1200]

I'd presume ISDNman means different LIDB database providers. Verisign, ENUM, ACCUDATA, and lots of others all provide services for name lookup. That's why when a name is incorrect, the trouble ticket is opened up with the terminating CO, not the originating. They need to contact their LIDB provider to determine what name is being sent. As suggested above, it cost's money to update the database, so some are out of date, and they wait for trouble tickets, and then update the numbers on the trouble ticket only.

 

[SYQUEST]

Well, that explains that! I did not realize there are multiple LIDBs. Since Telcordia had the lock on "LIDB" like they have on the LERG, I understood there was one source, but I guess not.

That is obviously an issue since everyone is not playing from the same page!

....JIM....

 

[ISDNman]

Yeah, what he said.

I ran across this when all of a sudden my local LEC no longer subscribes to a database that includes any cellular numbers.

Worked on day and the next day it stopped working. Instead it says "cellular caller". I sure would like to see a class action suit on this. The claims Caller ID with name correctly states that the number may not be available. It says nothing about how the name may not be available because the Telco is too cheap to subscribe to a good database.