The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) plans to urge the new TRAI Chairman to consider allotting the toll free short code system for data services deactivation and reactivation.
"We will urge the next TRAI chairman to take up the matter of code allotment for data services de-activation and reactivation with DoT on a war footing as operators would take at least six weeks to implement the process," Rajan Mathews, Director General of COAI said to a national daily.
The free short code system works in such a way that the subscribers need to text ‘STOP’ to a designated toll free code 1925 to deactivate the service. Similarly, they can send ‘START’ to the free toll free code for reactivation. The telecom operators would also perform the data deactivation and reactivation through ‘IVR’ by dialing 1925 and either pressing ‘0’ or ‘1’.
Last month, TRAI had mandated the telecom operators to seek consent from the subscribers before re-activating or de-activating the data services on mobile numbers. TRAI issued the order after receiving complaints from the subscribers that many-a-times the data services are reactivated on the numbers without the knowledge of the subscribers, which results in huge bills.
TRAI also made it mandatory for the telecom operators to send alert to the subscribers through text messages when their limit crosses certain usage level like 50 percent or 100 percent.
