TRAI Clears Confusion Over 100 SMS Limit

After the successful implementation of new Do Not Disturb (DND) rules to curb pesky calls, SMS from telemarketers, Indian Telecom regulator TRAI clears its stand and confusion over 100 SMS Limit.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said that the regulations prescribe several steps for protection of customers from unsolicited Commercial calls and SMSs. Currently, Telecom service providers offer SMS packages offering as many as 2000 SMS per day, which can be made use of by Unregistered persons for sending commercial communications/ Unwanted SMS from ordinary numbers. In order to reduce such a possibility, TRAI has, in consumer interest, prescribed a limit of 100 SMS per day per SIM for all the customers.

Concerns have been raised that such provisions will impact flow of transactional messages such as from a Bank to its customers or from Airlines to its passengers, and likewise from the schools to the students/ parents. This concern is misplaced. Under the Regulation, such messages are classified as Transactional messages and the limit of 100 SMS does not apply to the Transaction messages. It is open to the authority to notify further categories as Transactional messages.

It is also to be noted that the time restriction of 9 pm to 9 am does not relate to the transactional messages which can be sent at any time.

It has also come to the notice that some telemarketers are sending SMS to customers registered on National Customer Preference Register (NCPR) stating that if they want to receive transactional messages then they have to deregister from NCPR. Customers are requested to be aware of such messages which are apparently based on misunderstanding of the regulations and customers already registered on NCPR are requested to not deregister.

In order to address the genuine requirements of customers, TRAI has issued a Direction to all Mobile and Telecom Service opertaors to exempting certain categories from the limit of 100 SMS per day. These are agents of telecom service providers for sending electronic recharge messages, e-ticketing agencies, certain social networking sites like Facebook, GooglePlus, Twitter and certain Directory services. It is open to the Authority to notify further categories, as and when warranted.

Rifais November 24, 2012 at 8:46 pm

I cant agree to this rule, 100 sms limit. why should every customer bear this rule. we wish to send or recieve sms from our loved ones without any limit. so make a rule which will not affect us. i have a suggestion that make a system that we could register our numbers and our friends and family numbers to recieve unlimited sms per day.

arijit November 20, 2012 at 10:05 pm

100sms per day is completly a stupid rule. the policy makers r gone of their minds..they should impose on the telemarketrs and not on the customers. They say that they done market research before imposing the ban of 100 sms..wat a bullshit

sachin October 28, 2011 at 7:26 pm

i completely agree tat posing 100sms limit is not a good decision. plsi so request TRAI to change its Rule… thanksx for the oppertunity.

thakns in advnace

Shruti Anand October 19, 2011 at 7:39 pm

wat a stupid rule is this….change the rule and remember v r living in a democratic country..which gave us right to speech who r u 2 take this rule ack…get back

Dilip Kumar October 13, 2011 at 2:41 pm

@Hriku
ya.. your absolutely right.. this can be more helpful for the normal users..

Hriku October 12, 2011 at 8:55 pm

TRAI should have framed the rule in a different way;

instead of limiting 100 text messages per day, it should rather have restricted number of sms recipients to a maximum of 100. this would have been much logical b’coz, i suppose commercial communicators won’t send all 2000 sms to the same person, as they generally send only 1 or 2 sms per individual number. and general consumers donot text more than 100 people a day. so this would have actually made impact on the those unwanted texters and public interest had been saved.

what say folks?

rohan October 11, 2011 at 10:38 am

policy making is good. But TRAI have to understand that it should impose the policy on telemarketer not on customer…please re-frame your policy such that customer cant be affected….100 sms per day …literally pathetic.

Naushad October 5, 2011 at 2:40 pm

Lagta he TRAI ka dimag kharab ho gaya he 100 sms ki limit ek din me thik nai he ye kuch logo k liye acha ho sakta he magar sab k liye nai me iska puri tarah virodh karta hu

Sam Leslie October 5, 2011 at 2:38 pm

TRAI should restrict commericial sms rather affecting normal subscriber. 100sms/day

Siddharth October 3, 2011 at 10:35 pm

Send a FEEDBACK to TRAI

Including this if you want :
“We are not at all Happy with the 100 SMS per day Rule.”
“We propose that the SMS packs stay as they are, but not allow those who have activated any SMS pack to send messages to **not** more than 50 or 100 numbers a day, but be able to send messages as prescribed under his/her SMS package to those 50 or 100 numbers.”

vinay October 3, 2011 at 12:27 am

so ultimate loser is consumer.if consumers can send 100 sms then its not allowed even if its not for commercial purposes. but if the same r used by pvt organisations, its transactional.

arindam October 2, 2011 at 7:13 am

the ew 100 sms plans is a complete bullshit!!!!!!!!it sucks!!!!!!!we can manage a few add messages or some adds …….bt cant tolerete bt cant tolerete reductn in sms

Abhith` October 1, 2011 at 11:04 pm

Please make the DND better instead of limiting private sms in a boundary of 100 count.

What TRAI gets to make us sick ?

Sandeep October 1, 2011 at 4:18 pm

TRAI should restrict commericial sms rather affecting normal subscriber. 100sms/day s**k i’m thinking to but another sim card because of the same….

TRAI should restrict commericial sms rather affecting normal subscriber. 100/day s**k i’m thinking to but another sim card because of the same….

rajeshwari September 30, 2011 at 9:19 pm

TRAI SUX

Manoj Thakur September 30, 2011 at 8:21 pm

But Facebook & Google+ messages are not delivering now. What should we do?

techiemonk September 30, 2011 at 3:16 pm

@Rzr

Personal messages i.e. none commercial communication should be unrestricted .

Prem Dhanapal September 30, 2011 at 12:04 pm

Good move from T R A I.

Samrat Ray September 30, 2011 at 11:45 am

Good job done by TRAI……But make sure that the DND customers are 100% protected.

Keshav Jha September 30, 2011 at 10:30 am

Good but what about google sms channels? For that preference 6 should be selected or not?

Dipayan September 30, 2011 at 7:54 am

At least 200 msg/day.

Sudhakar September 30, 2011 at 6:24 am

I think one can buy a pigeon and tie the matter (written in a paper) to its legs and send to the destination !!!. LOL LOL LOL.

If TRAI rules become strict, this is the only way. Who knows?. TRAI may even send restriction on sending pigeons. Only 100 pigeons per person per day !!!!!!!!!!!!.

kingston September 30, 2011 at 3:30 am

Well . . . now kabil sibal connection with Telecom companies seen clearly. This move definitely increase the profit of telecom companies. Becos if any one need 200 sms /day then he will buy two sim card and two message booster. So it will increase the revenue of telecom companies. Thanks to TRAI to support the revenue of telecom companies.

Bullshit TRAI. . .

If you limit sms to 100 then you have to order telecom companies to decrease price for message booster.

Damn it decision by TRAI. Give atleast 200sms/day

Rajesh Soni September 29, 2011 at 10:01 pm

Facebook updates have stopped and SMSgupshup has stopped. I have opted for preference 6 but still all the SMS has stopped

Rzr September 29, 2011 at 7:38 pm

Instead of 100 sms/day, why not 3000 sms/month… I know many friends who send occasional forward messages, but that might be as long as 250 sms… So it would be great if TRAI would reconsider its stand.. Any other suggestion…!?!?

Yukthi September 29, 2011 at 7:02 pm

take 5 connections for 500 sms’s…

Saurabh September 29, 2011 at 5:39 pm

Anyone knows how to unblock facebook messages??
100 sms/day is not sufficient.. Atleast 500 is what we need..

Prithvi September 29, 2011 at 5:23 pm

Was worried about the banking transactional sms and I got the answer here. Thanks for the clarity. I think TRAI need not succumb to unsolicited pressures from any group or set of service providers after issuing the statement. Good job by TRAI!

Damodaran September 29, 2011 at 4:57 pm