TRAI asks operators to suggest ways to tackle pesky SMS

Terming unsolicited SMSes as a 'gigantic problem', telecom regulator Trai on Wednesday asked the mobile operators to give their suggestions on tackling the menace of pesky messages by October 25.

"All of you have 15 days time (October 25) you have to come back to me with any suggestions," Trai Chairman Rahul Khullar said during an open house discussion on unsolicited commercial communications (UCC) involving mobile operators, telemarketers and consumer groups.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in draft "Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference (Tenth Amendment) Regulations, 2012" has proposed disconnection of resources of entities for whom the promotion is being carried out after ten violations.

The revised regulations are expected to be out by November 5.

Khullar said the operators have to give a solution otherwise as a regulator Trai will take a decision on the issue.

"I have a practical problem on my hand and I want practical solution," he said.

The draft regulation calls for providers to put in place a mechanism to block the delivery of unsolicited SMS with similar signatures from the source which sends more than a specified number of promotional SMS per hour.

It proposes disconnection of resources of entities for whom the promotion is being carried out after ten violations. Khullar asked the operators to come with suggestions regarding fixing limit for promotional SMSs, technical solution that can be put in place to block such messages and the cost involved in it.

The draft regulation proposes that operators take an undertaking from consumers, at the time of purchase, that the SIM purchased shall not be used for telemarketing purpose.

It also said the operators should take an undertaking from transactional message sending entities that they would use only registered telemarketers for their promotional activities.

The draft proposes to help consumers lodge complaints of such communication by sending an SMS to 1909, while asking telecom operators to inform subscribers through text messages at least twice a year against sending any commercial communication to others.