The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken strict action against service providers for failing to control harassing calls and SMS on their networks.
As per recent updates shared by Union Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav in Parliament, a penalty of Rs 34.99 crore has been levied on the Access Service Providers.
The penalty was imposed for not complying with the Telecom Commercial Communication Customers Preference Regulation (TCCCPR), 2018.
Disconnecting Violating Connections
In response to the growing issue of unsolicited commercial communication, telecom operators have disconnected a significant number of connections.
In the calendar years 2021 and 2022, they disconnected 15,382 and 32,032 connections, respectively, for violating the regulations.
TRAI’s Directive for Digital Platform
To address the problem effectively, TRAI directed service providers to establish an integrated digital platform within two months.
This platform will be used for obtaining, retaining, and revoking customer consent for promotional calls and messages.
During the initial phase, customers themselves will initiate the process of registering their consent, followed by commercial entities reaching out to customers to seek their consent for promotional messages.
Short Code for Consent
Access providers like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have been instructed to utilize a common short code, starting with 127, when sending messages to request consent from customers.
Survey Results
In a survey conducted earlier this year, around 76 percent of the respondents reported an increase in harassing calls or SMS, particularly linked to their interactions with WhatsApp business accounts and activity on Facebook or Instagram.
Preventing Financial Frauds
In November of the previous year, TRAI stated that it is actively working on employing various technologies to detect rogue calls and messages.
Additionally, they are collaborating with other regulators to develop a joint action plan aimed at preventing financial frauds.
By taking these measures, TRAI aims to ensure a more secure and respectful communication environment for telecom customers.
