TRAI Asks DoT To Recover Penalties From Telecom Firms For Spam Calls
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, or TRAI, asked the Department of Telecommunications, or DoT, to recover penalties from a few telecom companies for their failure to check the increasing spam calls and messages. The penalties are being imposed after repeated warnings and failure by the companies to effectively take measures to address the growing problem of unsolicited communication.
Penalties Imposed
TRAI has imposed heavy fines on major telecom operators in India, with the figure crossing Rs 97 crore altogether. Here’s how it breaks down:
- BSNL/MTNL: Rs 50 crore
- Airtel: Rs 20 crore
- Vodafone Idea: Rs 15 crore
- Reliance Jio: Rs 12 crore
These companies have been fined for not meeting the required standards in trying to cut spam calls and messages. They were asked to take stricter action, which they have failed to do.
Growing Problem of Spam Calls
Spam calls and messages, including those of marketing or promotional purpose, have continued to be a headache for mobile subscribers in the country. These unsolicited calls make most users’ daily lives miserable and, at times, fraudulent schemes working to cheat on unsuspecting individuals. Despite a Do Not Disturb service, among other regulations in place, the volume of spam calls has continued to increase.
TRAI then asked the telecom to implement more efficient solutions that block these calls, which they have not been able to achieve the required benchmark, thus attracting the fines.
TRAI’s Stand on Spam Control
The TRAI has not been found wanting in attacking this problem of spam calls and messages. It often changed its policies to bring more improvements in the situation. Basically, it has run various initiatives for years to identify and block such spam communications by enforcing Artificial Intelligence and blockchain-based solutions.
Along with technical measures, TRAI has also requested consumers to report spam calls by sending the details to a particular number. This number appears to keep growing, which in reality proves that the telecom companies have not provided appropriate measures.
Impact on Telecom Companies
All these penalties are expected to hit the financial statements of the telecom companies, as now they will have to pay the fines imposed. But many of them have already announced challenging these fines, while others may abide by TRAI’s orders and work in the direction of better spam control mechanisms.
Imposition of such fines basically reminds the telecom companies to review their respective systems for better compliance with TRAI guidelines. Non-compliance might attract more fines and penalties in the times to come, which could put a dent on their reputation and customer trust.
As TRAI and DoT continue to work together to enforce more rigid spam control policies, the operators are bound to upgrade their technology platform to contain the menace. That would include more sophisticated filtering techniques, efficient consumer reporting systems, and strict punishments for violators.
On the other hand, consumers are advised to be vigilant and report spam messages and calls. Hopefully, spam communications can be reduced to a matching effort from the authorities, telecom companies, and consumers altogether.
It’s a call on an urgent basis to end the menace of spam calls. These fines send out a clear message that telecom operators will now have to make customer safety and experience the top priority by deploying more effective solutions to keep unwanted communication under control.
