Trai issues directive on overseas text messages
Trai issues directive on overseas text messages
New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has directed the country’s telecom companies, including long-distance operators, to block all bulk text messages originating from outside the country.
According to a statement from Trai, after the new rules were put in place, promotional texts were sent through overseas servers to customers on the National Customer Preference Register (NCPR).
These servers were located in Germany, Sweden, Nauru, Fiji, Cambodia, Bosnia, Albania, Grenada, the UK, Jersey, Sint Maarten, Tonga, Vanuatu, Namibia, Panama, and Antigua and Barbuda, among others.
After discussions with the operators and other stakeholders, Trai has mandated that international texts containing an alphabet header or alphanumeric header, or +91 as originating country code should not be delivered. Further, Trai said that if any source or number from outside the country generates more than 200 texts per hour with a similar “signature", these should not be delivered. However, such restrictions won’t be applicable on blackout days.
shauvik.g@livemint.com
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