Grahakjago (S.K.Virmani)©

Is TRAI really interested in protecting telecom subscribers from the menace of Pesky calls? I refer to the article that has appeared in Times of India dtd. 25/05/2013 titled "TRAI cracks down on pesky callers" To the readers I would like to refer to my article on telemarketing calls appeared on my blog which has appeared on 11/05/2012, 08/08/2012, 07/11/2012. Theses articles by way oof my advocacy with TRAI have been sent to them. The paper clearly says that the bulk of telemarketing SMS and calls are being originated from unregistered telemarketers. There are two issues that are important to the problem which were needing attention of TRAI and are being continuously ignored for the reasons best known to them: 1. The procedure laid down for complaining is so complicated that the NCPR registered subscribers prefer to delete the message or forget receiving trouble of telemarketing call than making any complaint. The solution to the problem is if the penalty is imposed o...

The proactive approach of TRAI has ensured the growth of telecom industry is India. The estimated total population of telecom subscribers as of now is somewhere around 100 crores indicating tele-density as 80. While TRAI has ensured growth of telecom industry, it could not look into the system of complaint handling for the problems being faced by telecom subscribers. The industry is still lacking with a redressal system outside the company. The subscribers are at the mercy of the company to get solution to their problem. While all other sectors of important service industry like Banking, Electricity, Insurance has a system of approach to Ombudsman in case the consumer fails to get redressal from his service provider, the Telecom Industry has not been provided with a system of Ombudsman. Why that too for 100 crores customers? Even in a service industry where the system of Ombudsman do exist and the Ombudsman if unable to provide relief to the customer as per his satisfaction, custo...

This news has appeared in theNavbharat Times dtd. 31st May 2012. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is the regulatory body in the Telecom Sector. One of the objective as per TRAI Act is to protect the interest of consumers. In my view the TRAI has failed to protect the interest of consumers as is quite evident from the above news report. It is not only that there is a failure in implementation of its regulations on MNP i.e Mobile Number Portability but also several other regulations. Few of them could be "Activation of VAS (Value Added Services", Unsolicited Commercial call (UCC) and all the three regulations were meant to protect consumers from unethical business practices. TRAI itself have confirmed under RTI that 5 regulations in UCC i.e Unsolicited Commercial Communications have not been implementable as no grievance redressal mechanism has been thought of. Is it not a joke with the 100 crore consumers??? Agreed, certain steps are forgotton at the time of making reg...

TRAI has brought out regulations w.e.f. 27th September 2011 to curb the menace of telemarketing calls. However, telecom companies seems not to be cooperating TRAI in implementation of these regulations. The following regulations are pertinent to the post: 1. All the telemarketers are required to be registered with TRAI for the purpose of telemarketing business. 2. All the telemarketing calls are to be carried out during 9.00 AM to 9.00 PM 3. All the telemarketing calls should originate from a number series of 140xx xx xxx so that the receiver of the call can identify the incoming call as telemarketing before opting to receive or not. 4. All the telemarketing SMS should be sent with a 9 alphanumeric character code or identifier and no message of telemarketing nature can be sent through an mobile number. 5. There can not be telemarketing call to a number which is registered with NCPR. It means the customer who have got their mobile number registered with NCPR can not receive ...