JOIN US In yet another attempt to discourage unsolicited marketing calls and SMSs that annoy mobile subscribers, the Telecom Regulatory.
Authority of India (Trai) on Thursday warned that phone connections of any firms including banks, insurance companies and realty players will be disconnected if they continue with the practice against the rules.
According to the new rules by the telecom watchdog, a fine of Rs 5,000 per complaint on a telecom firm would be imposed if unsolicited commercial calls (UCC) or SMS were made by unregistered telemarketers using its network.
Trai said, "In cases where the UCC contains reference to another telephone number or an entity such as banks, insurance companies, builders for which the commercial transaction has been solicited, the telecom resources (land line, mobile and internet services) issued to the subscriber /entity for which commercial transaction has been solicited, shall be disconnected across all service providers...”
The regulator took the step after it received various complaints that most of the pesky calls or SMSs received by consumers on behalf of banks, insurance companies and builders.
Trai suspects that some of the companies like banks or real estate firms instead of using registered telemarketing companies, hiring unauthorised telecom marketing companies and making calls or sending SMSes to mobile consumers considered it were cheap.
If any unregistered telemarketing firms represent banks or insurance companies to call customers, both the company and the telemarketing partner would be punished.
“This will ultimately prevent banks or real estate firms hiring unregistered telemarketing companies to send SMS or call, Rahul Khullar, Chairman, Trai, told reporters here.
Even mobile service providers will have to cough up Rs 5000 as fine if proof is obtained of a UCC being sent through their network.