Politics · India Bureau
India's telecom regulator tightens rules on undeclared automated calls
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has brought application-to-person (A2P) calls under a formal regulatory framework, allowing service providers to charge carriers for originating undeclared robocalls and AI-based calls. The move aims to combat rising spam and unsolicited automated communications.
LSN India ·
India's telecom watchdog has moved to curtail the surge in spam calls by establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework governing A2P communications, which include robocalls, AI-generated calls, and other automated messaging services. Under the new framework, telecom service providers are now permitted to levy a termination charge of up to 5 paise per call on carriers that originate undeclared A2P traffic on their networks.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has long grappled with complaints from subscribers overwhelmed by unsolicited automated calls promoting financial services, real estate schemes, and other products. The new regulatory structure aims to create accountability throughout the telecommunications chain by requiring carriers to declare the nature of A2P traffic they are originating.
By allowing service providers to impose termination charges on carriers originating undeclared calls, TRAI seeks to create a financial disincentive against spam. The framework is designed to encourage compliance with disclosure requirements while giving telecom operators tools to manage unwanted traffic on their networks.
The move comes as India's telecom sector faces mounting pressure to address customer grievances related to unsolicited communications. Earlier measures, including the adoption of NCPR (National Customer Preference Register) lists and requirements for caller identification systems, have had limited effectiveness in curbing the problem. Industry analysts expect the new regulatory mechanism to provide more concrete enforcement capabilities in tackling the persistent spam issue.