Disclosing this at the meeting of the local telecom advisory committee here today, telecom officials said the facility would be provided on the E-10-B electronic exchanges only. Thus, the facility would be available at 20-level and 21-level numbers in Shimla.

Though the equipment for call identification is available in the market for about Rs 1,000, it has yet to be approved by the DOT, which would be done later this month.

The facility is part of the DOT plan to provide modernised facilities to its subscribers in the town. This will also help in curbing crank calls, which were slowly turning into a menace here.

Once the equipment is approved, the subscriber can make use of the facility after buying this from the market. For utilising the service, subscribers have to get the service activated from the DOT exchange. The subscriber will, however, have to pay additional charges of Rs 50 per month to the DOT, for availing the facility.

Once installed and activated from the exchange, the equipment will flash the number of each receiving call and would also record it. Thus, the subscriber can decide on which call to receive and which not.

The equipment will also help function as an answering machine, where calls received during the absence of a subscriber, will be recorded, except messages.