Pesky calls: Trai gives banks time till mid-December

Regulator also warns banks, insurance firms that if pesky calls continue, authority will cut their connections

The Telecom regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today said that banks have been given time till mid-December to check unsolicited commercial calls and SMSs.
However, insurance companies have asked four to six weeks for compliance, Trai chairman Rahul Khullar said.

“We have stringently implemented the guidelines on pesky calls and have penalised some operators. We have so far not penalised banks and insurance companies,” he added.

Trai has warned the banks and insurance firms that if pesky calls continue, the authority will cut their connections.

Trai had, in August, come out with regulations that phone connections of banks, insurance firms and realty players will be disconnected if rules of unsolicited calls and messages are not followed.

On Wednesday, the regulator also said that a priority call routing (PCR) scheme should be instituted to ensure that calls of personnel responsible for response and recovery during disasters are routed in priority.

In a statement, Trai said enhanced multi-level precedence and pre-emption (eMLPP) based priority call routing should be implemented in wireless networks in India along with the right to pre-empt ongoing calls, if needed.

“The Government should fund the PCR scheme through budgetary allocation/ support and should oversee its implementation. The operational expenses for the PCR scheme should be borne by the National Disaster Relief Fund,” the regulator stated.

Trai has also has also recommended that a Standing Committee, under the Union Home Secretary, comprising senior officers from Department of Telecom, Trai, National Disaster Management Authority, Telecom Engineering Centre, and representative from industry should be formed.