Telecom Authorities Blacklist 1,150 Entities, Disconnect Over 1.88 Million Resources
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Synopsis
The Indian government announced the blacklisting of 1,150 telecom entities to combat spam, disconnecting over 18.8 lakh resources. This action has led to a reduction in complaints against unregistered telemarketers, supported by recent amendments in regulations to expedite the reporting and action process against unsolicited communications.
Key Takeaways
- 1,150 entities blacklisted by telecom providers.
- Disconnection of over 18.8 lakh resources.
- Complaints against UTMs decreased significantly.
- New regulations extend complaint time to 7 days.
- Action time against UCC reduced to 5 days.
New Delhi, March 19 (NationPress) The government announced on Wednesday that telecom service providers have blacklisted 1,150 entities and individuals, leading to the disconnection of over 18.8 lakh resources as part of efforts to combat the proliferation of spam calls and messages.
This initiative has resulted in a notable decline in complaints regarding unregistered telemarketers (UTMs), dropping from 189,419 in August 2024 to 134,821 in January 2025, according to Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, the Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, in a written response to the Lok Sabha.
On February 12, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) updated the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018.
Consumers can now lodge complaints regarding spam or unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) within seven days of receiving such messages, extended from the previous three-day limit.
Additionally, the period for access providers to act against UCC from unregistered senders has been shortened from 30 days to 5 days, as per the new amendments.
To facilitate swift action against UCC senders, the conditions for initiating action have been made stricter. The previous requirement of having 10 complaints in the last 7 days has been revised to 5 complaints in the last 10 days, according to TRAI.
These changes will take effect 30 days post their publication in the official gazette.
Moreover, TRAI has recently ordered disconnection of all telecom resources utilized by unregistered senders and UTMs responsible for spam calls, along with blacklisting these senders.
Last month, the government cautioned telecom service providers of potential fines of up to Rs 10 lakh for non-compliance with the updated regulations governing unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) and SMS.
The modifications to the TCCCPR, 2018 are designed to address the evolving tactics of telecom resource misuse and foster a more transparent commercial communication environment for consumers.
