A telephone number change notification method is provided in which a
calling party is reliably identified when a new telephone number of a
called party is notified to the calling party when the called party
changed the telephone number. When a telephone exchange detects that a
called number is changed based on a subscriber information database, the
telephone exchange sends a prompt message asking for sending a telephone
number notification request to a calling telephone. The calling telephone
creates a digital signature and sends it to the telephone exchange. The
telephone exchange forwards it to a new telephone number of a called
telephone. The called telephone receives the digital signature and
verifies it. If the digital signature is valid, the called telephone
notifies a new telephone number to the calling telephone.