The Telecom Equipment Manufacturing Association (TEMA) has sought a freeze on unsolicited commercial communications (UCC) and has urged the industry to take “urgent” steps to curb the pesky calls menace.

“Due to an increased dependence of mobile phones during the pandemic, phishing and cybercrime calls have also increased. It is high time that the nuisance of pesky calls is eliminated, as we have technology and regulations in place to prevent it,” said TEMA Chairman Ravi Sharma.

“We urge the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), telecom service providers (TSPs), Internet service providers (ISPs) and telemarketers to plan and implement a solution jointly to curb this menace,” he added.

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Phishing UCC and SMSes are a problem in every country with high mobile penetration. Globally, they have been managed by coordination between the regulator and other stakeholders, according to TEMA, an industry body representing domestic equipment makers.

This follows a recent move by One97 (Paytm), which approached the Delhi High Court to seek relief from pesky calls, messages and phishing attempts. Eariler on July 14, the Court has asked TRAI to submit an action taken report on registration of telemarketers and other related issues.

In India, TRAI has come up a ‘do not call registry’ to contain the issue, while in 2017 the regulator launched a mobile app to register ‘do not disturb’ requests.

“However, UCC has been on the rise,” Sharma added.

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