The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a consultation paper on Wednesday seeking public feedback on the "Review of the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018)." Implemented in February 2019, these regulations aim to protect consumers from unsolicited commercial communications (UCC) such as spam calls and messages.
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Key Issues and Areas for Improvement
TRAI's consultation paper highlights several key issues that have emerged during the implementation of regulatory frameworks, which need immediate attention. These include the definitions of commercial communications, complaint redressal provisions, the effectiveness of the UCC detection system, financial penalties for violations, regulations for senders and telemarketers, and the analysis of high number of voice calls and SMS.
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Proposed Enhancements and New Provisions
The regulator is seeking suggestions to strengthen the framework by proposing stricter measures against unregistered telemarketers, improving complaint handling processes, enhancing detection systems for UCC, increasing financial penalties for offenders, and revising rules for senders and telemarketers. Additionally, TRAI said the paper also explores the introduction of differential tariffs for voice calls and SMS to discourage spam communications.
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The consultation paper aims to gather diverse perspectives to update the regulations, ensuring better consumer protection against unwanted communications.
