Telecom companies blacklisted entities and 2.75 lakh connections

Business.Business: The Ministry of Communications on Tuesday said in a statement that access providers have taken strict measures against misuse of telecom resources for spamming and blacklisted over 50 entities. They have also disconnected over 2.75 lakh SIP DIDs/mobile numbers/telecom resources, the statement said. These steps are expected to have a significant impact in reducing spam calls and providing relief to consumers, the ministry said. TRAI has urged all stakeholders to comply with the directions and contribute to a cleaner and more efficient telecom ecosystem. The call for compliance comes after TRAI issued stringent directions to all access providers on August 13.

TRAI ordered access providers to immediately stop promotional voice calls from unregistered senders or telemarketers using SIP, PRI or other telecom resources. TRAI had said that any unregistered telemarketers found misusing these resources will face severe consequences, including disconnection and blacklisting of all telecom resources for up to two years. TRAI has taken this move after observing a significant increase in spam calls, with over 7.9 lakh complaints filed against unregistered telemarketers in the first half of 2024 (January to June).