Big Relief for Customers! TRAI Strikes on Unsolicited, Pesky Promotional Msg by Telemarketers; Orders Telcos to Take Strict Action

New Delhi: Telecom regulator TRAI on Thursday cracked down on unauthorised, pesky promotional messages by telemarketers because it issued instructions to telecom operators to behave swiftly to cease the misuse of headers and message templates. To cease the misuse, the regulator has directed entry service suppliers (telecom operators) to reverify all registered headers and message templates on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform and block all unverified headers and message templates inside 30 and 60 days respectively.

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Telecom operators have additionally been requested to make sure that momentary headers are deactivated instantly after the set time length. “… Remove confusions among recipients of message and prevent their misuse, no look-alike headers (headers which are similar by virtue of combination of small case or large case letters) are to be registered by access providers in names of different Principal Entities,” TRAI mentioned.

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To curb messages from unauthorised or unregistered telemarketers, together with telemarketers utilizing phone numbers, telecom operators have been directed to “bar all telemarketers, who are not registered on DLT platform from handling the message template scrubbing and delivery of messages to recipients through Access Providers’ network”.

Telcos must “ensure that promotional messages are not transmitted by Unregistered Telemarketers or Telemarketers using telephone numbers (10 digits numbers).” Telecom operators have been instructed to take motion in opposition to all erring telemarketers as per stipulated rules and in addition provoke actions as per related authorized legal guidelines.

“The Access Service Provider shall also notify details of such Telemarketers to other Access Providers, who shall, in turn, bar these entities from sending any kind of commercial communications through their networks,” TRAI mentioned. TRAI has requested all telecom service suppliers to adjust to its instructions awithin thirty days.