Spam calls will be curbed, connection of non-registered entities will be cut; order to blacklist for two years

TRAI has directed telecom companies to disconnect all telecom resources of non-registered entities making unwanted (spam) calls. Also, such companies have been asked to be blacklisted for two years.

During this time, no new connections will be allocated to them by any telecom company. The regulator has also asked telecom companies to immediately comply with this directive and provide regular details on a fortnightly basis about the action taken in this regard.

TRAI said that this 'decisive action' is expected to reduce unsolicited calls to consumers by unregistered telemarketing companies and provide relief to customers.

Now, the telecom regulator TRAI has mandated that all the registered telecom companies disallow promotional calls from all unregistered telemarketing companies using wholesale connections and other means of telecom, whether such messages are pre-recorded or computer-generated.

It has also directed all the telecom companies to comply with its latest directive and provide regular updates on the action taken in this regard on the first and 16th of every month. The regulator last week met with the regulatory heads of all telecom companies to look for solutions for curbing spam calls.

The meeting was attended by officials from Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio, Tata Teleservices Limited, Vodafone Idea Limited, Quadrant Televentures Limited (QTL) and V-Kan Mobile and Infra Private Limited.