TRAI Blacklists 50 Entities For Spamming Users

Heeding the directions of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), telecom operators have blacklisted 50 entities for spamming end users. 

In a statement, TRAI said that telcos also disconnected more than 2.75 Lakh mobile numbers, telecom resources and SIP DID (session initiation protocol and direct inward dialling) in response to its directives. 

“These steps are expected to have a significant impact on reducing spam calls and providing relief to consumers. TRAI urges all stakeholders to comply with the directives and contribute to a cleaner and more efficient telecom ecosystem,” read the statement. 

The telecom regulator said that it issued directions to telcos on August 13 to immediately stop promotional voice calls from unregistered senders or telemarketers. TRAI also warned that unregistered telemarketers (UTMs) misusing telecom resources would face disconnection for up to two years and blacklisting.

This comes as TRAI said that it has seen a “significant rise” in spam calls, adding that it received more than 7.9 Lakh complaints against UTMs in the first half of the calendar year 2024.

Meanwhile, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has also directed unregistered machine-to-machine (M2M) service providers to register with it by the end of the current month. It also warned that non-registration would lead to disconnection of services. 

“DoT has urged all unregistered M2M service providers (M2M SPs) and WPAN/WLAN (devices connected wirelessly) connectivity providers for M2M Services, to register with DoT immediately and latest by September 30, 2024, to avoid disruption of their M2M services,” said the department. 

It is pertinent to note that M2M services encompass devices that can be connected with broadband or wireless services such as smart TVs, digital metres and FASTag.

The M2M services segment is dominated by Bharti Airtel with more than 2.8 Cr subscribers and 53.86% market share. Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Reliance Jio account for 27.77% and 12.8% market share, respectively.

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