Here is a bad news for Postpaid GSM and CDMA mobile services subscribers in Jammu & Kashmir. The SMS service for Postpaid users has been banned and restricted to 10 SMS per day for Prepaid subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir Telecom circle. The Incoming SMS from rest of India and World are also Ban for mobile service users of J&K.The reason cited for the ban by the government is National security concerns.
The Department of Telecommunications (DOT), (Ministry of Communications & IT) has issued directives to all 12 mobile service operates including Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications, Tata Indicom and BSNL providing service in Jammu & Kashmir telecom circle.
According to the DOT directives for Ban on Short Message System (SMS) should be effect from 2400 hours on April 16, 2010. All the concerned Mobile Service Providers of Jammu & Kashmir telecom circle had been directed to furnish necessary compliance on SMS Ban instructions to Telecom Enforcement, Resource & Monitoring (TERM) Cell of J&K and send a copy to DOT by April 19, 2010.
Highlights of DOT Directives to All Mobile Service Providers (UAS/CMTS licensees ) as follows-:
- The service providers will immediately stop schemes/tariff packages of free SMS service.
- SMS messages originated outside J&K service area in India and from the networks of ILD operators should not be delivered to Mobile subscribers in J&K service area.
- A limit should be put on number of outgoing SMSs as 10 SMS per day per subscriber in the case of prepaid subscribers in J&K service area.
- The post-paid subscriber in J&K service area should not be allowed to originate SMSs altogether.
- Such facility to the existing post-paid subscribers shall be withdrawn immediately.
- In case of bulk SMS connection/facility/SMS interface given to the telemarketers/users with regard to J&K, this facility will no longer be available i.e. until further directions nobody/no organization/no agency will be given facility for sending bulk SMS through any portal to the subscribers in J&K. Facility to the existing users is to be immediately withdrawn.
- Voice-call facility will not be given to the Telemarketers. Existing voice-call facility given to the telemarketers will also be withdrawn immediately.
