The Centre has issued a strong warning to telecom service providers, threatening them with fines of up to ₹10 lakh&nbsp;if they fail to implement new regulations aimed at reducing spam calls and messages. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) introduced these amendments to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018, to combat unsolicited commercial communications (UCC).
The new rules impose financial disincentives (FDs)&nbsp;for telecom companies that fail to curb spam. The penalty starts at ₹2 lakh&nbsp;for the first violation, escalating to ₹5 lakh&nbsp;for the second, and ₹10 lakh&nbsp;for subsequent violations. These fines will apply to both registered and unregistered senders of spam messages.
In addition to the fines, the amendments aim to make the complaint process more efficient for consumers. Under the revised norms, customers can now file complaints about spam messages and calls without first having to register their preferences. The complaint window has also been extended from three to seven days&nbsp;after receiving a spam message.
To improve the speed of action, the new rules reduce the timeframe for telecom companies to address complaints from 30 days&nbsp;to 5 days. The criteria for taking action against senders have also been revised, with stricter measures to handle more spammers faster. Companies will now trigger action against any sender with 5 complaints in the last 10 days, down from the previous threshold of 10 complaints in 7 days.
The Ministry of Telecommunications stated that the new regulations are designed to balance consumer protection with the need for legitimate commercial communication, ensuring a safer and more transparent communication environment.

Customers can now file complaints about spam messages and calls without first having to register

New TRAI rules tighten scrutiny on telecom firms, reducing action time on spam complaints

Curb Spam or Pay ₹10 L Fine: Govt Warns Telcos

New TRAI rules tighten scrutiny on telecom firms, reducing action time on spam complaints

February 13, 2025 | 10:37 IST