TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) Has Introduced New Measures to Reduce Spam Calls and Enhance Consumer Protection. The revised rules, part of the amened telecom commercial communications Customer Preference Regulation (TccCPR) of 2018, AIM to Combat Unsolicited Commercial Communications (Ucc).
Under these regulations, trai have banned commercial communication using Standard 10-Digit Mobile Numbers. INTEAD, A Designated Numbering System will be used: The '140' series will be reserved for promotional calls, while the new '1600' 1600 '1600' Series will be used for transactional and services-rended calls.
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The changes follow Growing Concerns Over Telemarketing Practices Exploiting Telecom Services. A Consultation Process, Initiated in August 2024, Gathered Industry Feedback on Potential regulatory gaps.
Key highlights of the new rules include:
- Stricter measures against unregisterde Telemarketers: Penalties for reepeat offenders have been made more severe. First-Time Violators will face a 15-day suspension of outgoing services, while persisted offenders will have their telecom resources disconnected for a year. Telecom operators 2 Lakh and Escalating for Further Violations.
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- Consumer Complaint Process: TRAI Has Simplified The Process for Consures to Report Spam Calls and Messages, Allowing them to Lodge Complaints without Needing to Pre-Register their communication preferences. The time frame for reporting spam has been extended to Seven Days, and Telecom Providers Must Resolve Complaints Within Five Days. New Rules also require telecom companies to provide an 'Opt-out' option in promotional messages and display complant registration options on their websites and apps.
- Message Header Standardisation: To help users identify the type of communication, trai is introducing standardized message headers for promotional, service, government, and transactionsacious messages.
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Despite these measures, the cellular operators association of India (coai) has expressed concerns, stating that the penalties imposed on telecom service provides do not address the root causes of the iSue. They sugges that telemarketers themselves should face more direct regulation.