\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)<\/strong><\/a> has introduced new regulations aimed at tackling the persistent issue of spam calls and messages. Under the amended <\/span>Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR)<\/a>, 2018, TRAI has banned the use of <\/span>10-digit mobile numbers for commercial communication and introduced stringent penalties for telecom operators failing to enforce these measures.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n While the move is designed to protect consumers from <\/span>unsolicited commercial communications (UCC), major telecom operators, represented by the <\/span>Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI<\/a>), have expressed disappointment, arguing that the new rules unfairly penalize them rather than the actual culprits.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n TRAI\u2019s latest amendments are part of an ongoing effort to close regulatory loopholes that allow telemarketers to misuse telecom networks for spam. The key measures include:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n TRAI<\/strong><\/a> has officially prohibited <\/span>commercial communication through standard 10-digit mobile numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, a dedicated number series will be used:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018140\u2019 series for promotional calls.<\/span><\/p>\n \u20181600\u2019 series for transactional and service-related calls.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n First-time violators will face a <\/span>15-day suspension of outgoing telecom services.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Repeat offenders will see telecom resources, such as <\/span>PRI\/SIP trunks, disconnected across all service providers for <\/span>up to one year.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Telecom operators failing to enforce the new rules will face <\/span>financial penalties:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u20b92 lakh for the first violation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u20b95 lakh for the second violation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u20b910 lakh for every subsequent violation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Consumers <\/span>no longer need to pre-register their communication preferences before filing complaints.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The <\/span>complaint window has been extended from 3 days to 7 days for reporting spam messages or calls.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Telecom operators must <\/span>act within 5 days on complaints (earlier, the limit was 30 days).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The threshold for penalizing senders has been reduced to <\/span>five complaints within 10 days, down from the previous <\/span>10 complaints in seven days.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Telecom operators must provide <\/span>easy complaint registration options via their websites and mobile apps.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mandatory <\/span>\u2018opt-out\u2019 options must be included in promotional messages, allowing users to block future communication.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Brands must now <\/span>wait 90 days before re-seeking consent from users who have opted out of marketing messages.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n To help users differentiate between message types, TRAI has introduced <\/span>uniform message headers:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n (-P) for promotional messages.<\/span><\/p>\n (-S) for service-related messages.<\/span><\/p>\n (-T) for transactional messages.<\/span><\/p>\n (-G) for government communications.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A separate category has also been created to ensure users don\u2019t miss out on <\/span>essential government-related notifications.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The <\/span>Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)<\/a>, which represents major telecom players such as <\/span>Airtel<\/a>, Jio<\/a>, and Vi<\/a>, has opposed the new TRAI regulations. COAI argues that the burden of compliance and penalties is being unfairly placed on telecom operators rather than the actual <\/span>telemarketers (TMs) and principal entities (PEs) responsible for spam communications.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n COAI believes penalties should <\/span>target telemarketers and business entities benefiting from spam rather than telecom operators.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The industry body had recommended that <\/span>telemarketers be brought under a licensing framework, which would give the government and TRAI greater legal control over them.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The rules do not cover <\/span>delivery-based telemarketers or messaging apps like <\/span>WhatsApp<\/a> and Telegram<\/a>, which are also used for commercial communication.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n According to <\/span>S.P. Kochhar, Director General of COAI<\/a>, these new penalties will <\/span>not effectively curb spam, and a more holistic approach is needed to regulate telemarketers directly.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n While TRAI\u2019s latest amendments aim to <\/span>combat spam calls and messages, telecom operators remain dissatisfied, arguing that they are being penalized for issues caused by unregistered telemarketers. The introduction of stricter regulations, standardized message headers, and consumer-friendly complaint mechanisms marks a <\/span>significant step in protecting users from unsolicited commercial communication. However, unless a <\/span>comprehensive regulatory framework includes all players in the ecosystem, including telemarketers and messaging platforms, spam calls and messages may continue to be a persistent issue<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Follow Before You Take<\/span><\/a> on <\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Twitter<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>WhatsApp Channel<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Telegram<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Threads<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/a>, For the <\/span>Latest Technology News & Updates<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Latest Electric Vehicles News<\/a> | <\/span>Electronics News<\/a> | Mobiles News<\/a> | Software Updates<\/a><\/p>\n The post TRAI Bans 10-Digit Numbers for Telemarketing, Imposes Heavy Penalties on Telecom Operators<\/a> appeared first on Before You Take<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced new regulations aimed at tackling the persistent issue of spam calls and messages. Under the amended Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018, TRAI has banned the use of 10-digit mobile numbers Continue reading TRAI Bans 10-Digit Numbers for Telemarketing, Imposes Heavy Penalties on Telecom Operators<\/span>Key Changes Introduced by TRAI<\/h2>\n
Ban on 10-Digit Numbers for Telemarketing<\/h3>\n
Stricter Penalties for Repeat Offenders<\/h3>\n
Improved Consumer Complaint Mechanism<\/h3>\n
Enhanced Transparency and User Control<\/h3>\n
Standardized SMS Headers for Better Identification<\/h3>\n
Telecom Operators Push Back Against New Rules<\/h2>\n
COAI\u2019s Key Objections<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n