Telecom operators have shown serious concerns about the recent changes introduced by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to fight spam calls and messages. Major points are:
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Blacklist Enlargement: 1,150 organizations have been blacklisted, and more than 18.8 lakh telecom resources have been disconnected to restrict spam operations.
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Extended Complaint Window: Consumers have seven days to complain about spam, up from the earlier three-day window.
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Shortened Action Time: The time taken by telecom operators to take action against unregistered telemarketers has been reduced from 30 days to five days.
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Tighter Action Criteria: Action will be taken against spam senders after five complaints in ten days, down from ten complaints.
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Financial Fines: Telecommunications operators can be fined Rs 10 lakh for failing to comply with these new rules.
These amendments seek to better protect consumers but have raised operational issues with telecom firms.
Source: Matrubhumi