Trai sticks to 100 SMSes limit

The limit, however, will not be applicable on “blackout days” (festive occasions) when the text-addicts are free to send as many messages they want.

“To curb the menace of pesky calls and messages, as of now, the regulation will be applicable to all users. If in future some problem arises, we will look into it,” Trai sources said.

Trai’s clarification comes within days of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) asking Trai to reconsider its recommendation, claiming that such a regulation may pose a potential challenge to the “fundamental rights” of an ordinary subscriber.

COAI Director-General Rajan S Mathews, in a letter to Trai last week, had pointed out that there are several instances where SMSes are an important mode of communication.

“There could be a situation where a customer has exhausted the limit and suddenly some emergency occurs. Due to this artificial restriction, the safety of the subscriber may be jeopardised,” he argued.

On September 5, the telecom regulator had come out with an order restricting  access providers (operators) from transmitting more than 100 SMSes per day per SIM from September 27.