TDSAT halts TRAI’s Rs 141 crore penalty on telcos over spam control failure

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had directed telecom operators to pay a collective penalty of Rs141 crore for failing to effectively curb spam on their networks. However, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) on Thursday stayed the TRAI order until further notice.

According toTDSAT, telecom companies are not required to pay the penalty until the next hearing, scheduled for 8 August. TDSAT has also requested TRAI’s legal counsel to submit an affidavit with all relevant details. The penalty affects all major Indian telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

In their defence, the telcos argued that the sanctions are unfair as the mandated anti-spam platforms are still under development. TRAI had previously instructed the operators to implement a functional spam control system within a specific timeframe, which they failed to meet, leading to the penalties.

Notably, this is not the first instance of such regulatory action. In July, TDSAT had also suspended a TRAI penalty related to the delayed implementation of the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) system.

As of now, telecom companies continue to work on their anti-spam platforms. BSNL has demonstrated its system on several occasions, while Airtel has already showcased and partially implemented its platform.