Relief from pesky calls, SMSes from Sept 27

Telephone users will finally get relief from pesky calls and text messages from September 27.

All those subscribers who have registered with the National Customer Preference Registry, earlier known as 'Do Not Call Registry', would get relief from all commercial communications, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said.

"...Relevant clauses of regulations have been amended and the regulations are being implemented from September 27," it said in a statement.

India has over 850 million mobile and over 34 million fixed line subscribers.

"DoT has provided '140' number series to be allocated to telemarketers. Access Providers [operators] have to make relevant provisions in their network before allocation of resources to telemarketers using '140' number series from mobile and fixed line networks," Trai said.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said that all service providers were ready to implement the revised guidelines on mobile networks as per the deadline given by the Trai, but it would be a big challenge on landline phones.

"...Working hard to implement on the landline. Operators will have to add '140' before the STD code, so it may take little longer in this case due to challenges in implementing the new numbering plan with BSNL landline services," COAI Director General Rajan Mathews said.

Last year, the regulator had announced recommendations to curb the menace of such calls and SMSes, but the guidelines could not be implemented in the absence of an identified number series, first in case of commercial calls coming from mobile networks and then in landline phones.