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Spam calls: TRAI bars 1.24 lakh telecom resources, disconnects repeat offenders

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Regulators are intensifying consumer protections against unsolicited commercial communication by penalizing non-compliant telemarketers and blocking unauthorized message headers. The enforcement push combines automated surveillance systems with citizen reporting to restrict persistent bad actors from accessing the telecommunications grid. However, broad public exposure remains high because only a fraction of mobile subscribers have formally opted into the national Do Not Disturb registry. Notably, telecom providers deployed artificial intelligence systems to detect 19.9 billion suspected spam communications during the July–September quarter.

Key points

  • Citizen participation heavily drives regulatory action, with the official DND App generat…: Citizen participation heavily drives regulatory action, with the official DND App generating nearly 93 percent of spam complaints.
  • Automated carrier surveillance is actively tagging billions of suspicious incoming commun…: Automated carrier surveillance is actively tagging billions of suspicious incoming communications to prevent widespread subscriber disruption.
  • Consumer protection gaps persist as over 112 crore subscribers have yet to register on th…: Consumer protection gaps persist as over 112 crore subscribers have yet to register on the Do Not Disturb registry.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) barred more than 1.24 lakh telecom resources from outgoing services and blacklisted 374 entities for one year for violating unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) rules during July-September, as the regulator intensified action against spam calls and messages.

According to TRAI's quarterly report for the second quarter of 2026-27, 1,10,325 telecom resources, including mobile numbers, were barred from outgoing services for 15 days for a first violation. Another 13,777 resources were disconnected for one year after repeat violations.

The regulator also blocked 3,725 SMS headers and blacklisted 374 senders for a year. During this period, the blacklisted entities cannot obtain fresh telecom resources.

TRAI receives 15.29 lakh spam complaints

TRAI received 15.29 lakh complaints about unsolicited commercial communications during the quarter, of which 7.23 lakh were classified as actionable.

The complaints came against the backdrop of 714.01 billion calls and 702.28 billion SMSes originating from telecom networks across the country. The complaint rate stood at around 2.14 per million outgoing calls, the report said.

The TRAI DND App remained the main channel for reporting spam,…

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