Pesky calls: Telcos block 2.75 lakh phone numbers, 50 firms

As many as 2.75 lakh telephone numbers have been disconnected and services to 50 entities blocked as part of regulator Trai's massive crackdown against pesky calls and unregistered telmarketers.

The move came after Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) asked telcos to blacklist and disconnect unregistered telemarketers.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Trai said it has observed a significant rise in spam calls, with more than 7.9 lakh complaints reported against unregistered telemarketers in the first half of 2024.

In a bid to put a check on this, Trai had issued stringent directives to all access providers on August 13, and mandated access providers to immediately stop promotional voice calls from unregistered senders or telemarketers using SIP, PRI, or other telecom resources, according to the statement.

"Consequent of these directions, access providers have taken stern measures against misuse of telecom resources for spamming and blacklisted over 50 entities and disconnected more than 2.75 lakh SIP DID/mobile numbers/telecom resources. These steps are expected to have a significant impact on reducing spam calls and providing relief to consumers," Trai said.

Trai urged stakeholders to contribute to a "cleaner and more efficient telecom ecosystem", and said any unregistered telemarketer found to be misusing these resources will face severe consequences, including disconnection of all telecom resources for up to two years and blacklisting.

In a bid to tighten noose on pesky callers, Trai last week asked the industry if a higher tariff should be introduced for calls and text messages beyond a certain number in a graded manner.

In a discussion paper, the regulator has mooted that telecom subscribers making over 50 calls or sending out even 50 SMS a day should be scrutinised as potential pesky callers.