Indian tele-marketers will soon have resist the urge to punch the dial following a government move to curb unsolicited calls and text messages to mobile phone users, the BBC reports. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, or TRAI, said this week that cell phone subscribers could register on a “National Do Not Call,” or NDNC, list to be set up around September. Telemarketers calling prospective customers listed on the proposed registry will face a Rs. 500 fine for each call or text message. According to the Financial Express, tele-marketers would need to register with the Department of Telecom and the telecom service providers every 10 years. However, the TRAI has exempted messages relating to financial transactions under specific contracts (between the caller and a party), charities, national campaigns and natural calamities transmitted under government directions, among others, according to the Business Standard. Telecom service providers will in turn be required to set up call centres with toll free numbers that subscribers can call to be listed on the NDNC registry.
Although it is a good move towards privacy protection, I think the regulation could be more effective if there was a fine imposed on service providers as well, to deter them from sharing subscriber information with tele-marketers. I certainly cannot wait to get on the “do not call” list and I’ll keep my fingers crossed about not being harassed by telemarketing calls, especially when I am out of Chennai and my mobile’s on roaming. We can only hope that the TRAI is equally enthusiastic about enforcement as it has been about penning the regulation. Check out this blog for a taste of the experiences of Indian customers on the “do not call” list of companies. Sigh!
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