Relief from pesky calls,SMSes from Sept 27

“…relevant clauses of regulations have been amended and the regulations are being implemented from September 27,” it said in a statement.

India has over 850 million mobile and over 34 million fixed line subscribers.

“DoT has provided ‘140’ number series to be allocated to telemarketers. Access Providers (operators) have to make relevant provisions in their network before allocation of resources to telemarketers using ‘140’ number series from mobile and fixed line networks,” Trai said.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said that all service providers are ready to implement the revised guidelines on mobile networks as per the deadline given by the Trai,but it will be a big challenge on landline phones.

“…Working hard to implement on the landline. Operators will have to add ‘140’ before the STD code,so it may take little longer in this case due to challenges in implementing the new numbering plan with BSNL landline services,” COAI Director General Rajan Mathews said.

Last year,the regulator had announced recommendations to curb the menace of such calls and SMSes,but the guidelines could not be implemented in the absence of an identified number series,first in case of commercial calls coming from mobile networks and then in landline phones.

State-owned MTNL,which offers telecom services in Delhi and Mumbai,said it will comply with the revised Trai’s regulations on unsolicited commercial communications.

“We will meet the regulations,” MTNL Chairman and Managing Director Kuldeep Singh said.

Trai had last year recommended a maximum fine of Rs 2.5 lakh on telemarketing companies for making unsolicited calls or SMSes to a consumer registered under the NCPR — a modified version of Trai’s ‘Do Not Call Registry’ list.

Subscribers have the option of choosing to be under the ‘Fully Blocked’ category,which is akin to the ‘Do Not Call Registry’. If a user select the ‘Partially Blocked’ category,they will receive SMSes in categories chosen by them.

Trai has identified eight categories — banking and financial products,real estate,education,health,consumer goods,automobiles,communication and entertainment,tourism and leisure.

Further,the regulator has reduced the periodicity for subscriber to change their preference in NCPR to seven days from three months.

“In order to provide flexibility to a customer to change his preference,the existing restriction of three months has been reduced to seven days,” Trai said.

BSNL officials were not immediately available for the comment. Sources,however,said that the PSU would be in position to meet the deadline of Trai.