Telecom Lead India: TRAI wants mobile service providers to share their action plans in 15 days to stop pesky messages and calls.
Indian telecom operators such as Airtel, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, Reliance Communications, Tata Docomo, BSNL, Aircel, etc. has got 15 days to respond to TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar’s reques “I have a practical problem on my hand and I want practical solution… All of you have 15 days time (October 25)…you have to come back to me with any suggestions,” Trai chairman Rahul Khullar said during an open house session with mobile operators, telemarketers and consumer groups on unsolicited communications.
On August 3, TRAI circulated a consultation paper which suggested a monetary penalty and disconnection for repeat offenders. The final norms are expected in the first week of November and may provide some respite to mobile users in India.
The volume of unwanted messages and calls are increasing. TRAI is unable to deal with the huge issue within the existing mechanism.
Khullar said if a solution did not come from the industry, the regulator will be forced to decide on the issue, indicating the urgency that he was giving to the issue. Despite TRAI and government’s repeated efforts unregistered telemarketers have used technology to beat regulations.
TRAI’s draft regulation has proposed that telecom operators put in place a mechanism to block the delivery of unsolicited SMSs with similar signatures in case more than a specified number of text messages came from the same number. For 10 violations the service of the errant number would be disconnected, Trai had suggested.
A couple of months ago, TelecomLead.com reported that TRAI has decided to do something to solve problems of consumers regarding unwanted SMS and phone calls from unregistered telemarketing companies.
TRAI has also issued notices to telecom service providers to discuss the issue. Khullar said that TRAI wants to consult all stakeholders on these issues to find a solution within a few months.
