Call Data Record

Telecom operators recently red flagged the increasing number of instances where the government is seeking call data records in bulk.

About CDR

The CDR or call data record is a string of information about a mobile phone number. This is from a specific time period. The CDR of a subscriber gives information such as call duration, locations of the caller and the call recipient, whether the call was terminated normally or not, etc.

Rules

Law enforcement organisations and telecom department usually seek the CDR from telecom operators. The Licensing Condition No.39.20 of the Licence Agreement for Unified License requires the telecom operators to preserve the CDR for at least a year for scrutiny by the telecom department. There is a protocol by which law enforcement agencies and courts can seek the CDR from operators. Only an officer of the rank of SP and above can seek such data.

Call Drop

The government has claimed that the recent increase in requests for bulk CDRs was to investigate the call drop situation. Call drop is a sudden interruption or termination of a call, mainly due to technical causes. This termination occurs before the conversation is completed. The department is to use latest software and technology, like big data analytics to address the issue.