Lok Sabha Question No. 3924 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-17
Subject: Unsolicited Calls
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, Kunhalikutty P.K.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3924 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH   JULY, 2019

## UNSOLICITED CALLS

## 3924.   SHRIMATI JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT: SHRI P.K. KUNHALIKUTTY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  has  received  large  number  of representations on unsolicited calls especially from property dealers;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) whether the Government has any plan to impose penalty on property dealers for messaging and calling mobile subscribers and if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, LAW & JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) & (b) Yes Sir, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has received large number of representations on unsolicited calls from property dealers.

As per The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018, a customer,  who  has  registered  his  telephone  number  for  not  receiving  Unsolicited  Commercial Communications (UCC), may make a complaint about receipt of UCC to his service provider. The service provider from whose network the UCC had originated has to take action on the complaint as per the regulations.From the monitoring of complaints received by service providers regarding UCC, it  is  seen  that  during  the  month  of  June  2019,  the  service  providers  had  received  a  total  of  43662 complaints relating to Unsolicited Calls, of which 1651 calls were relating to property.

Although  the  consumers  have  to  make  complaints  about  UCC  to  their  service  providers, TRAI has been receiving representations/complaints from consumers relating to UCC.  During the current year 2019 (upto 10.07.2019), TRAI has received 155 such complaints/representations, which

were  forwarded  to  the  concerned  service  provider  for  necessary  action.  As  such,  TRAI  does  not maintain data of complaints UCC type-wise (voice or SMS) and telemarketing company-wise.

(c) & (d) The  following  provisions  exist  in  the  regulations  for  action  against  telemarketers, including property dealers, for violations:

In case of UCC originated by unregistered telemarketers:

-  On first violation- Warning shall be issued and during investigation temporary usage cap will be imposed.
-  On second instance of violation- Usage Cap for a period of six months
-  On third and subsequent instances of violations- All Telecom resources of the sender shall be disconnected for a period up to two years and Originating Access Provider (OAP) shall put the sender under blacklist category, during which period no telecom resource shall be provided by any other service provider.

In case of UCC originated by registered telemarketers:

-  Action has to be taken by service provider in accordance with the Code of Practice of service provider, approved by TRAI, and the provisions of the regulations.

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