TRAI Cracks Down on Spam Calls: Bans 10-Digit Numbers for Telemarketing

In a major step towards curbing spam calls and enhancing consumer protection, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced stricter regulations under the amended Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018. The new rules aim to eliminate the misuse of telecom resources and ensure stricter accountability for telemarketers and service providers.

Ban on 10-Digit Numbers for Telemarketing

TRAI has now prohibited the use of standard 10-digit mobile numbers for telemarketing. Instead, businesses must use designated number series: the ‘140’ prefix for promotional calls and the newly introduced ‘1600’ series for transactional and service-related calls.

Simplified Reporting & Faster Action on Spam Calls

Consumers can now report spam calls and messages without pre-registering their preferences. The reporting window has been extended from three to seven days, and telecom operators must resolve complaints within five days, down from the previous 30-day limit. Additionally, the penalty threshold for senders has been lowered to five complaints within 10 days, ensuring stricter action against violators.

Stronger Penalties for Repeat Offenders

First-time violators will face a 15-day suspension of outgoing services. Repeat offenders will have their telecom resources disconnected and blacklisted for a year. Telecom operators failing to enforce these rules will be fined, starting at Rs 2 lakh for the first violation, Rs 5 lakh for the second, and Rs 10 lakh for subsequent breaches.

More Consumer Control Over Telemarketing

TRAI has mandated a mandatory ‘opt-out’ option in promotional messages. Consumers will now see standardized message headers for promotional (-P), service (-S), transactional (-T), and government (-G) messages, ensuring clarity.

Source: PIB