Major Indian telcos face fines for failing to prevent spam

Major telecom companies have reportedly been fined by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for their failure to stop spam calls and messages, The Economic Times reported. Under the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), the fines impact a number of smaller carriers as well as major players like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and BSNL. 

TRAI has assessed fines totalling Rs12 crore in the most recent round. When prior penalties are included, telecom providers owe a total of 141 crore. The businesses haven't paid their debts, though. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has yet to make a decision on TRAI's request to use the companies' bank guarantees to recover the money. 

TRAI has requested that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) encash bank guarantees (BGs) in order to recoup the fines since the telcos are not paying them.

Telecom operators argue that companies and telemarketers, not the operators themselves, are the main source of the spam problem. They contend that since they are only middlemen, it is unfair to impose fines on them. Despite some businesses avoiding restrictions, the operators also highlight their significant investments in spam minimisation.

Voice calls can be made and received via apps like WhatsApp. Currently, these are not controlled in India. As a result, the telecom companies have told TRAI that spam calls should also be held accountable by OTT (over-the-top) communication platforms. Spam calls won't entirely cease in India till that time. Telcos claim that these TRAI penalties are unreasonable since they are the only ones liable for the financial penalties, even though the spam calls were created and distributed by other parties.

Bharti Airtel has already introduced an AI-powered feature on its network that instantly warns users of spam messages. BSNL is acting in a similar manner. Telcos are visibly unhappy about the fact that the only ones being penalised by the industry regulator in spite of their investments and efforts. 

To fight spam more successfully, TRAI is currently updating and improving the TCCCPR. Telecommunications operators highlighted at a recent meeting that spam cannot be eliminated unless all ecosystem players,including OTT platforms and companies, are held responsible.

TCCCPR, (Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation) was created in 2010 with the goal of shielding customers against unsolicited calls and messages.