The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken decisive action against major telecom firms, including Airtel, Jio, BSNL, and Vodafone Idea, imposing substantial fines amounting to crores of rupees. Last week, TRAI reprimanded these companies for breaching the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR) and for their inability to curb spam calls. This, however, isn’t the first instance of such penalties; telecom operators have faced fines multiple times in the past.
Currently, a fresh penalty of Rs 12 crore has been levied on these companies, bringing the total fines to Rs 141 crore for their ongoing failure to manage spam calls effectively. So far, the telecom companies have not responded to the latest fine. To tackle the issue of fake calls, TRAI has implemented significant changes in recent months and is planning to further enhance the TCCCPR.
According to reports, should the telecom operators refuse to pay the fines, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has been instructed to encash their bank guarantees to recover the penalty sums. However, as of now, no action has been taken by the DoT regarding this matter. The fines were imposed under the auspices of the TCCCPR.
What is TCCCPR?
The TCCCPR holds telecom companies accountable if their users receive spam or fraudulent calls. Telecom providers are required to establish systems that effectively block such calls at the network level. Recently, the telecom regulator has upgraded the rules to further shield users from fake calls, implementing guidelines that range from managing unsolicited communications to ensuring message traceability.
Accountability on OTT Platforms
In addition, the DoT has instructed telecom companies to provide caller tunes related to cybercrime awareness to users for the next three months, helping them stay informed about potential fraud. During a recent open discussion with stakeholders, telecom operators expressed their concern that accountability should also extend to Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms like WhatsApp, which are often involved in spam communication.
Scammers frequently exploit these OTT services for fraudulent activities. Telecom companies assert that these platforms need regulation as well, especially since the new IT rules do not provide any framework for oversight. Aside from terrestrial mobile networks, a significant amount of fraud is being perpetrated through internet calls, prompting telecom operators to call for regulatory responsibility to be extended to OTT providers as well.
ALSO READ: BSNL reveals eSIM rollout timeline, catches up with Jio and Airtel
