TRAI asks service providers to stop spam calls from unregistered telemarketers

New Delhi [India], August 13 : In a major step to curb the increasing number of spam calls, regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated all service providers to stop voice promotional calls, be pre-recorded or computer generated or otherwise, from all unregistered senders or telemarketers.
Lately, promotional voice calls from unregistered marketers have to some extent taken the form of menace.
On Tuesday, Ministry of Communications has laid directions issued for access service providers. The ministry said all promotional voice calls from the unregistered senders/unregistered telemarketers using telecom resources (SIP/PRI/other telecom resources) shall be stopped immediately.
If any unregistered sender/unregistered telemarketer is found to be misusing its telecom resources for making commercial voice calls in violation of the regulations resulting into consumer complaints, all the telecom resources of such sender shall be disconnected by the the access provider for a period up to two years.

Also, the ministry said that such a sender shall be blacklisted for a period of up to two years.

"Information regarding blacklisting of the Sender shall be shared by the OAP with all other Access Providers on DLT platform, within 24 hours, who will, in turn, disconnect all the telecom resources given by them to that Sender within the next 24 hours," the ministry said.

No new telecom resources shall be allocated to such Sender by any access provider during the period of blacklisting.
The ministry today said all access providers have been directed to comply with these directives and submit regular updates on the actions taken on the 1st and 16th of every month. This action by TRAI is expected to significantly reduce spam calls and provide relief to consumers.