You will now have to pay 5 paise per minute for this call; why is TRAI's new rule generating so much discussion?

To curb the incessant robocalls and spam calls regarding loans, insurance, and promotions received by telecom users, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has implemented new amendments to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations. Under these amendments, a termination charge of 5 paise per minute has been fixed for Application-to-Person (A2P) calls.

**Who will this rule apply to?**

This rule applies to companies and telemarketers that make bulk calls using automated systems or software.

**What are A2P calls?**
A2P calls are calls generated via apps, software, or automated platforms rather than by an individual manually dialing a number. These include robocalls, auto-dialed calls, and calls using pre-recorded or artificial voices.

**Who has to pay the charge?**

General mobile consumers need not worry about this at all. In fact, this termination charge will be paid by the 'originating access provider' (the network where the call starts) to the telecom operator on whose network the call terminates. It will have no impact on personal conversations. This rule will not apply to standard person-to-person calls made between ordinary users, which will continue to be governed by existing plans. Justifying the decision, TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti stated that the 5 paise per minute rate is a maximum ceiling; telecom companies can mutually agree upon the actual rate based on commercial negotiations.

**Uninformed A2P calls to be treated as spam**

Entities or telemarketers using A2P systems must inform their telecom operator in advance and provide a complete list of Calling Line Identities. If a company is found making automated or app-based calls without prior declaration, such calls will be classified as Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC), and penal action will be taken. However, numbering series specifically allocated by TRAI for regulated commercial communications—such as 140xx, 1600xx, and 1601xx—as well as calls authorized by the Authority, have been exempted from this charge.

Beyond merely imposing financial penalties, TRAI has also incorporated state-of-the-art technology to crack down on spam calls. Under this initiative, telecom companies will utilize AI and machine learning tools within their systems to identify calling numbers likely to generate high volumes of spam calls. If five or more numbers associated with a single sender are flagged as spam within 10 days, telecom companies will take strict measures, such as mandating re-KYC and physical verification, or even disconnecting the service in cases of repeated violations.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from NDTV India. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.