TRAI Tips- Are you troubled by unwanted calls and messages, TRAI has made arrangements to get rid of them, know the full details
In today's digital world, smartphones have become an important part of our lives which offer many facilities, but along with these facilities, troubles have also affected human life, many of us are surrounded by calls and messages about cheap plots, medical tests, college admissions, loans, and investments. It seems that we get more unwanted offers from telemarketing companies than from our family and friends. This persistent problem has prompted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to take decisive action to deal with unwanted communications. Let's know about it-
TRAI initially implemented the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR-2018) in February 2019 to curb unsolicited commercial communications (UCC). The regulation was aimed at protecting consumers from intrusive promotional calls and messages, despite these efforts, the volume of unsolicited calls and messages has remained high, prompting TRAI to consider further amendments.
TRAI has issued a consultation paper to collect public opinion on possible amendments to the TCCCPR-2018. The focus areas for review include:
Definitions of commercial communication: Clarifying what constitutes commercial communication to better regulate and enforce the rules.
Grievance redressal provisions: Improving the system for addressing and resolving consumer complaints.
Detection and enforcement of UCC: Improving mechanisms to detect and effectively act on unsolicited communications.
Financial disincentives: Revising penalties and fines for violations to ensure they serve as deterrents.
Regulation of senders and telemarketers: Updating regulations to address the conduct of telemarketers and the entities they represent.
Analysis of rising calls and SMS: To evaluate the rise in unsolicited voice calls and SMS to identify trends and effective countermeasures.
TRAI is considering different tariff structures for voice calls and SMS to deter telemarketing companies. This may increase costs for telemarketers who may have to buy separate plans for their communications.