Crackdown on pesky calls: TRAI disconnects 2.75 lakh numbers, blocks 50 entities
New Delhi: In a significant crackdown on spam calls and unregistered telemarketers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has disconnected 2.75 lakh telephone numbers and blocked services to 50 entities, officials said on Tuesday. This decisive action follows TRAI’s directive to telecom operators to identify, blacklist, and disconnect unregistered telemarketers misusing telecom resources.
According to a statement from TRAI, the move comes in response to a sharp increase in spam calls, with over 7.9 lakh complaints lodged against unregistered telemarketers in the first half of 2024 alone.
To curb this growing issue, TRAI issued stringent guidelines to all telecom operators on August 13, 2024. The directive mandated that access providers immediately halt promotional voice calls from unregistered senders or telemarketers using SIP, PRI, or other telecom resources.
“Following these directions, access providers have taken stern measures against the misuse of telecom resources for spamming. Over 50 entities have been blacklisted, and more than 2.75 lakh SIP DID/mobile numbers/telecom resources have been disconnected. These steps are expected to have a significant impact on reducing spam calls and providing relief to consumers,” TRAI stated. TRAI urged all stakeholders to contribute to a “cleaner and more efficient telecom ecosystem” and warned that any unregistered telemarketer found misusing resources could face severe penalties, including disconnection of all telecom resources for up to two years and blacklisting.
In an additional effort to curb pesky calls, TRAI recently floated a discussion paper proposing stricter scrutiny of telecom subscribers who make over 50 calls or send more than 50 SMS daily, potentially introducing higher tariffs for such activities.
