Trai's Crackdown on Spam: Telecom Operators Face Hefty Penalties

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has imposed a Rs 150 crore penalty on telecom operators for not curbing spam calls and messages. Trai disconnected over 21 lakh spammers and mandated stricter rules for action against spammers. The penalty is under challenge by telecom operators.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has levied a substantial penalty of Rs 150 crore on telecom operators for their failure to effectively control spam calls and messages, a decision that has sparked contestation from the operators themselves. Telecom service providers (TSPs) are penalized not for spam occurring on their networks but for lack of proper action against spammers.

The penalty, distributed over three years since 2020, highlights Trai's stringent stance on unregistered spammers. Despite regulatory frameworks to combat spam, significant lapses by service providers in addressing customer complaints have been noted. Trai's regulations allow financial disincentives up to Rs 50 lakh monthly, per licensed area, as a financial deterrent to non-compliance.

Trai's comprehensive measures resulted in the disconnection of over 21 lakh spam connections last year alone, with over 1,150 blacklisted entities in September 2024. The regulator introduced a DND app for seamless complaint registration, encouraging consumer participation in spam control. Trai has tightened regulations by extending the complaint window and specifying mandatory prefixes for calls and messages across sectors.

(With inputs from agencies.)