TRAI: Jio, Airtel, and VI fail to stop spam calls; TRAI imposes a ₹150 crore fine...

TRAI Fines Telecom Operators: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has imposed a hefty fine of ₹150 crore on telecom operators (Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea) for failing to curb the rising number of spam calls and messages in the country. This penalty has been levied for non-compliance with regulations between 2020 and 2023. TRAI stated that the operators neither took timely action against spammers nor properly addressed customer complaints.

Why were telecom operators fined?
According to TRAI, the fine was not imposed because spam calls were originating from the operators' networks, but because they failed to take appropriate action against spammers as per the regulations. According to an ET Telecom report, in many cases, telecom service providers wrongly closed customer complaints. The penalty was determined based on the provision that a fine of up to ₹50 lakh per license service area per month can be imposed under the rules.

During an audit, TRAI found serious negligence in taking action against spam. Last year, the regulator disconnected more than 21 lakh mobile connections of spammers and blacklisted over one lakh entities. Following new directives issued on August 13, 2024, approximately 18.8 lakh spammer connections were disconnected, and more than 1,150 entities were blacklisted in September 2024 alone.

DND App and Easier Complaint Filing Rules
For the convenience of users, TRAI has launched a DND app, which allows users to register complaints about spam calls or messages in just 4 to 6 clicks. The time limit for filing complaints has also been extended from 3 days to 7 days. Now, any subscriber can file a complaint within seven days of receiving a call or SMS, making it easier to identify spammers. 

New stricter rules to crack down on spam calls
TRAI has further tightened the rules, stating that action can be initiated against a number if it receives 5 complaints within the last 10 days. The use of 1600 series numbers has been made mandatory for transactional and service calls by entities in the banking, financial services, and insurance sectors. Government entities will also have to use this series for calling citizens, while promotional calls from 10-digit mobile numbers will not be permitted.

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