SUMMARY
- Telecom companies have blacklisted over 50 entities for engaging in spamming activities.
- TRAI has reported that these companies have disconnected more than 2.75 lakh mobile numbers, telecom resources, and SIP DID.
- TRAI has received over 7.9 lakh complaints against UTMs in the first half of the calendar year 2024.
In response to directives issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), telecommunications service providers have implemented measures to address the issue of spamming end-users. Telecom companies have blacklisted over 50 entities for engaging in spamming activities.
TRAI has reported that these companies have disconnected more than 2.75 lakh mobile numbers, telecommunications resources, and SIP DID (session initiation protocol and direct inward dialling) services as per its instructions.
This action is expected to reduce the volume of spam calls and provide relief to consumers. The statement by TRAI emphasizes the importance of all stakeholders adhering to these directives to experience a cleaner and more efficient telecommunications ecosystem.
Moreover, TRAI has announced that it issued directives to telecommunications companies on August 13, 2024, mandating an immediate halt to promotional voice calls from unregistered senders or telemarketers. It has also cautioned that unregistered telemarketers (UTMs) who misuse telecommunications resources may face disconnection of services for up to two years and subsequent blacklisting.
TRAI has observed a “significant increase” in the number of spam calls, noting that it has received over 7.9 lakh complaints against UTMs in the first half of the calendar year 2024.
The DoT has called upon all unregistered machine-to-machine M2M service providers (M2M SPs) and providers of WPAN/WLAN (devices connected wirelessly) for M2M Services to register with the DoT immediately and by September 30, 2024, to prevent any disruption to their M2M services. It has issued a warning that failure to register will result in the suspension of services.
M2M services include devices that are connected to broadband or wireless services, such as smart TVs, digital meters, and FASTag.
The M2M services segment is currently dominated by Bharti Airtel, with over 2.8 crore subscribers and a 53.86% market share. Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Reliance Jio account for 27.77% and 12.8% market share, respectively.
