TRAI asks telecoms to deploy blockchain to block marketing calls

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has come out with a new regulation asking mobile operators to deploy blockchain, or digital ledger technology (DLT) to ensure telemarketing messages are sent only to interested mobile users from registered entities.
Despite the availability of processes like DND (Do Not Disturb) which have had lakhs of users signed up, it has not provided respite to consumers. India’s 900 million plus mobile phone connections receive unsolicited calls / messages on a daily basis.

The regulation focuses on the single problem of commercial communication and addresses it in a holistic manner. There is clarity for all involved parties on what needs to be done.

The TRAI regulation is simple to understand, detailed on execution, and provides process guidelines on implementation, including technologies like blockchain, to keep the solution future-proof, scalable and cost-effective.

It protects citizens’ rights while maintaining business interests of trade and industry. It allows for the ecosystem providers to define their code of practices and self-regulate on the basis of assumed compliance.

TV Ramachandran, president of Broadband India Forum, said: “By controlling and restricting the number of unwanted and unwarranted calls and spam messages, it could  assist in making available other progressive digital information, facilities and utilities for the people that they genuinely need.”