The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued stricter regulations to curb the menace of unwanted calls and SMSes. Despite attempts, these still remain a concern for many customers.
The TRAI said all telecom resources (telephone lines) of banks, insurance firms and realty players will be disconnected if rules of unwanted calls and messages are flouted by them, or on their behalf.
15-days time
The regulator has given the companies next 15 days to mend the erratic ways, post which actions will be taken.
The action will be taken after serving notices each on the first and the second complaint, it said.
It has issued ‘the telecom commercial communications customer preference (13{+t}{+h} Amendment) Regulation, 2013, to tighten the framework for controlling the unsolicited commercial communications (UCC).
“If on verification of a complaint it is found that the UCC has been sent by a subscriber who is not registered as a telemarketer, the service provider shall be liable to pay financial disincentives of Rs 5,000 on each complaint,” TRAI said.
It has also asked service providers to submit the list of all bulk connections by 15th of every month, provided during the preceding month.
“In cases where the UCC contains reference to another telephone number or an entity such as banks, insurance companies, builders for which the commercial transaction has been solicited, the telecom resources issued to the subscriber /entity for which commercial transaction has been solicited, shall be disconnected across all service providers,” it said.
The authority has noted with concern by customers receiving UCC from persons who are not registered as telemarketers. It said such persons deliberately masquerade as normal subscribers for engaging in telemarketing activities.
It said many organisations by engaging such persons who are not registered as telemarketers with the authority are violating the regulations. These organisations are marketing their products through retailers, distributors and franchisees, which are thus responsible for the acts of their agents.
Meanwhile, the telecom regulator has recommended raising the Foreign Direct Investment limit for broadcast carriage services up to 100 per cent and for uplinking of news channels and FM radio services up to 49 per cent through Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) route.
Broadcast services
Broadcast carriage services, for which TRAI has recommended a 100 per cent FDI include DTH, HITS, IPTV, mobile TV, teleports, cable networks and multi-system operators.
Right now, 26 per cent FDI is allowed in uplinking of news and current affairs channels and FM radio services. It has also been recommended that the FIPB approval process be streamlined and made time-bound, it said.
The Information & Broadcasting Ministry on July 12 had sent a reference to TRAI seeking its recommendations to examine a Finance Ministry proposal for increasing FDI limits of the broadcasting sector in India.
ronendrasingh.s@thehindu.co.in