DoT to take up 100 SMSes a day issue with Trai: Sibal
Marketing companies are now sending messages via internet
The Department of Telecom (DoT) will take up the issue of limiting 100 SMSes per day with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) soon.
Addressing an Economic Editors’ Conference here on Thursday, Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said the DoT has received number of complaints from various sections of society saying the 100 SMSes cap has put them in hardships.
“As the restriction was imposed by the Trai, we have to approach the regulator for relief,” he added.
While banning unsolicited calls and SMSes from September 27, the Trai had fixed the limit of sending maximum 100 SMSes per day from each SIM card. Several organisations have demanded relaxations from this restriction. On the issue of continuing menace of pesky calls and SMSes despite a ban on it, the minister said he would write to the Trai to address the issue.
After imposing the ban on pesky calls and SMSes, telemarketing companies have now started sending SMSes through internet. “The matter will be brought to the regulator’s notice and hope the watchdog will take steps immediately to punish the violators,” said Sibal.
The minister said he would soon approach the Cabinet for approval for the National Telecom Policy, 2011. The new telecom policy, which proposes to do away with the national roaming charges and introduce nationwide mobile number portability, was announced by the minister recently.
To a question on when subscribers will get free roaming, he said the policy would be implemented within the tenure of the UPA II, but did not give an exact time line. On auctioning of spectrum, as desired by the finance ministry to reduce the fiscal deficit, Sibal said: “There is a lot of hope generated in the telecom sector... Telecom sector will bring lot of succour to the economy. So, I think, the finance minister will be happy.” He, however, said no time line has been fixed for the auction of spectrum.
Minister accused of insulting Tricolour
Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications Kapil Sibal is courting trouble for alleged disrespect to the National Flag, reports DHNS from Chandigarh.
Bharat Gaurav, an organisation led by senior BJP leader Vijay, on Thursday approached the Punjab police to file an FIR against Sibal for “disrespect” to the Tricolour. The matter relates to July 13 this year when Sibal and the Minister of Education of the Republic of Mozambique, Zeferino Aledandre, signed an MoU between the two countries.
