TRAI's new rules will improve spam detection in India
What's the story
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has updated its regulations to tackle unsolicited commercial communications (UCC). The new rules, which were announced today, include measures such as artificial intelligence (AI)-based spam detection and automated calls. The amendments are part of the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018. They aim to improve spam detection, strengthen complaint-based enforcement, and hold telecom senders and telemarketers accountable.
Regulatory changes
New measures for telecom service providers
Under the new rules, telecom service providers (TSPs) must identify customer-line numbers (CLIs) that are likely to be used for UCC.
They also have to share information about suspected senders with other operators.
If five or more CLIs associated with a sender are flagged within 10 days, access providers can launch an investigation and take graded enforcement actions.
These can include KYC re-verification, physical verification, barring outgoing services, and even disconnection of telecom resources in case of repeated violations.
A2P call regulation
Application-to-person calls included in new rules
The TRAI has also brought Application-to-Person (A2P) calls into its regulatory framework.
These are calls made by applications, software systems, or automated platforms without human dialing. They include autodialing, robocalls and pre-recorded/artificial-voice calls.
Entities using A2P calls must declare such usage to their telecom service provider along with the CLIs that will be used.
If not declared, these calls will be treated as UCC under the new rules.
Cost implications
Termination charge introduced for undeclared A2P calls
To deter misuse, the regulations introduce a termination charge of up to ₹0.05 per minute for undeclared A2P calls.
However, calls made through numbering series meant for regulated commercial communications or Authority-authorized calls are exempt from this charge.
The TRAI has also simplified the process to initiate enforcement against suspected spammers by lowering the threshold from five or more unique complaints within 10 days, to three or more unique complaints if the sender's CLI is flagged by TSP's AI/ML system.
Consumer rights
Consumers can now appeal against UCC complaint resolution
The new rules also provide consumers with an appeal mechanism against resolution of UCC complaints.
Appeals can be filed within 15 days before the Appellate Authority through various channels such as TRAI DND App, telecom operators' apps or portals, and calls/SMS to 1909.
The amendments also clarify that commercial communication based on a customer's inquiry will be allowed for seven days from the date of inquiry if it is in writing/digital form, and retained by sender in a verifiable form.
Template regulations
Other key amendments in the new framework
The TRAI has also tightened rules against the misuse of headers and content templates.
Misused headers/templates must be suspended within six hours of the originating access provider becoming aware of the misuse.
If a telemarketer is found responsible, its telecom resources across TSPs can be disconnected for one year and blacklisted.
The new framework also empowers TRAI to impose conditions in agreements between access providers and senders/telemarketers, and classify senders into different categories with differentiated enforcement measures.