TRAI orders cap of 100 SMSes a day at low rates

In yet another attempt to curb the menace of pesky spam messages, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced a cap of 100 SMSes in a day per SIM at concessional rates. For every SMS sent above the cap imposed by the TRAI, a minimum charge of 50 paisa will be levied. TRAI's order comes in the wake of complaints from the subscribers about receiving pesky messages from unregistered telemarketers, who allegedly are taking an advantage of the cheap SMS packages provided by telecom operators.

According to TRAI's principal advisor, N Parameswaran, the move will help stop unregistered telemarketers from misusing the concession SMS plans for sending bulk promotional messages. The restriction however does not apply on registered telemarketers, transactional message-sending entities, and telephone numbers.

The regulator is also considering a new mechanism which will enable telecom operators to block messages with same or similar characters. The proposed mechanism envisages a maximum of 200 SMSes with “similar signatures” are sent in an hour. The service provider can block the source once the cap is breached.

"We have arrived at the figure of 100 SMSs after a lot of consultation process," TOI quotes a TRAI official as saying. While the order would not have an adverse impact on the ordinary phone users, the official added, "Our analysis shows that on an average, a person sends two SMSes a day and 47 in a month. The limit we have prescribed is much beyond this."

"These SMS packs and tariff plans are being misused by unregistered telemarketers to send promotional SMSes to consumers. To prevent unregistered telemarketers from misusing such SMS packs or tariff plans for sending bulk promotional SMSes, a price restraint has been placed," Trai added.

Moreover, TRAI has asked telecom operators to set up web-and email-based mechanisms to enable subscribers to register complaints. "Whenever a new customer is enrolled for service, the access provider is required to take an undertaking from such customer in the Customer Acquisition Form that he shall not use the connection for telemarketing purpose and in case he does so, such connection shall be liable to be disconnected," TRAI said in a statement.

TRAI's fresh bid to curb unwanted text messages comes months after the regulator imposed a 200 SMS cap per day per SIM – which was later removed by the Delhi high court. The menace of pesky messages has continued to trouble the regular customers despite the stricter guidelines laid by the government bodies.

With spam messages ranging from new apartments to hair-fall therapies, the government needs to come up with a foolproof mechanism to stop the menace, and without troubling the common man. Even as the regulator believes a person sends only 47 SMS per month, there's quite a huge population that extensively uses SMSes for the communication, especially the youth.

Do you think pesky messages will finally end by allowing only 100 SMSes a day at low rates? Let us know in the comments section below:

Source: TOI