The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has imposed financial disincentives amounting to more than ₹150 crore on telecom service providers (TSPs) for failing to effectively curb spam calls and unsolicited messages, according to an official source. The penalty has been levied for non-compliance with regulatory norms over a three-year period beginning 2020, and has since been challenged by telecom operators.
The regulator found that telecom operators failed to take timely and appropriate action against spammers, particularly in cases involving wrongful closure of customer complaints and inaction on telecom resources being misused for spam, in violation of Trai’s regulations.
“Financial disincentives of more than ₹150 crore have been imposed on telecom service providers for wrong closure of customer complaints and for not taking action on telecom connections of spammers in accordance with the regulations,” the source said.
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Why Trai imposed penalties
Trai clarified that the penalties were not imposed simply because spam originated on operators’ networks, but because operators failed to act against spammers after complaints were received. Under existing rules, telecom operators are required to investigate complaints and take swift action—ranging from suspension to disconnection—against telecom resources used for spam.
As per regulations, Trai can impose a financial disincentive of up to ₹50 lakh per month per licensed service area on a telecom operator for non-compliance. Audits of complaint-handling processes revealed multiple instances where complaints were incorrectly closed without adequate action against the spammer.
Mass disconnections and blacklisting
Trai’s enforcement drive has led to large-scale action against spammers across the country. According to the regulator, over 21 lakh spammers have been disconnected, while more than 1 lakh entities have been blacklisted in the past year alone.
In September 2024, following directions issued by Trai on August 13, 2024, telecom operators disconnected around 18.8 lakh spam connections and blacklisted over 1,150 entities in a single month. These measures were aimed at tightening the noose around repeat offenders and organised spam networks.
Consumer complaints key to action
Trai emphasised that consumer complaints remain the primary trigger for action against spammers. While the regulatory framework allows operators to take action against unregistered senders—ranging from temporary suspension to one-year disconnection and nationwide blacklisting—the process is complaint-driven.
“Blocking numbers on phones alone does not stop spam, as spammers frequently change numbers. Complaints enable coordinated action across all telecom operators,” the source said.
To simplify reporting, Trai has rolled out a Do Not Disturb (DND) app, enabling users to register complaints in just 4–6 clicks. The complaint window has also been extended from three days to seven days, allowing subscribers more time to report spam calls or messages.
Tighter rules to curb spam
The regulator has significantly tightened norms to tackle the evolving nature of spam, which increasingly originates from unregistered individuals using regular 10-digit mobile numbers, rather than registered telemarketers.
Key measures include:
- Five complaints against a sender within 10 days are now sufficient to trigger action.
- Mandatory use of 1,600-series numbers by banks, financial services and insurance companies for transactional and service calls, and by government entities for citizen outreach.
- Classification of messages using suffixes—P (promotional), T (transactional), S (service) and G (government).
- A complete ban on promotional calls from regular 10-digit mobile numbers.
Trai has also clarified that consumers can file complaints against unregistered senders without activating DND preferences, further lowering the barrier to reporting.
Industry pushback
Telecom operators, however, have challenged the ₹150-crore penalty, arguing that spam control has become increasingly complex due to the use of virtual numbers, rapid SIM churn and sophisticated routing methods used by spammers. The matter is expected to see further legal and regulatory scrutiny.
The road ahead
Trai maintains that strict enforcement and consumer participation are essential to curb spam. With digital fraud, phishing and financial scams often originating from spam calls and messages, the regulator views these measures as critical to protecting consumers.
As spam tactics evolve, Trai has signalled that compliance accountability for telecom operators will only increase, making effective complaint redressal and swift action against spammers non-negotiable going forward.
