Government Tackles Voice Call Spam

Government Urges Action to Curb Bulk Communications via Voice Calls

New Delhi: The government has issued a stern warning to access service providers and their delivery telemarketers, urging them to implement effective measures to curb bulk communications and spam using voice calls. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) convened a meeting with industry stakeholders in the national capital to address the growing issue of unsolicited commercial calls, which has sparked numerous consumer complaints.

Stakeholder Deliberations

During the meeting, government officials highlighted instances of misuse involving headers and content templates without the consent of entities. Stakeholders discussed the steps taken by access service providers and delivery telemarketers to identify and trace the entities responsible for sending such messages. They also deliberated on corrective measures to prevent these cases from recurring.

The discussions included control measures for promotional calls, such as robotic calls, auto-dialler calls, and pre-recorded calls. It was emphasized that all enterprise business customers should migrate to the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform for sending bulk communications, in compliance with TRAI regulations.

Proactive Measures Sought

TRAI has called for proactive action from all stakeholders, particularly access service providers and their delivery telemarketers, to take immediate steps. This includes implementing technical solutions for traceability and preventing bulk calling by enterprise customers using 10-digit numbers through PRI/SIP.

Extended Timeline for Feedback

To further tackle the spread of spam calls, the central government recently extended the timeline for feedback submission on draft guidelines by 15 days. The Department of Consumer Affairs, also deliberating on the spam call menace, received various suggestions that are currently under examination.

Regulatory Compliance and Industry Collaboration

Stakeholders have urged the government to ensure a level playing field in regulatory compliance requirements between telecom service providers (TSPs) and other messaging platforms that provide similar communication services. The industry players continue to assist the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), TRAI, and the Department of Consumer Affairs in addressing the spam calls and SMS menace.

Multi-Stakeholder Involvement

The issue of spam calls involves multiple stakeholders, including TSPs, telemarketers, aggregators, and principal entities (PEs) such as banks, financial institutions, and real estate agencies, according to the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI). The involvement of these diverse groups underscores the complexity of the problem and the need for coordinated efforts to mitigate it.

Conclusion

The government’s call to action for access service providers and telemarketers marks a significant step in addressing the pervasive issue of unsolicited commercial calls. By urging the implementation of stringent measures and compliance with TRAI regulations, the government aims to protect consumers from the nuisance and potential harm caused by bulk communications via voice calls.

As the industry collaborates with regulatory bodies and other stakeholders, the focus remains on creating a fair and effective regulatory environment that curbs spam calls and ensures the integrity of communication services. The proactive measures discussed and the extended timeline for feedback submission reflect the government’s commitment to resolving this pressing issue.

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