Trai Fines Telecom Operators ₹150 Cr for Failing to Curb Spam Calls

• Trai imposed a ₹150 crore penalty on telecom operators for failing to curb spam calls and messages, covering three years from 2020.
• The penalty stems from operators' wrong closure of customer complaints and inaction against spammers' telecom connections.
• Trai has disconnected over 21 lakh spammers and blacklisted more than 1 lakh entities in the last year, with 18.8 lakh disconnections in September 2024 alone.
• New measures include an easier DND app, extending the complaint window to 7 days, and tightening action criteria to 5 complaints in 10 days.
• Trai mandated 1600 series numbers for BFSI/Govt calls, specific SMS suffixes (P, T, S, G), and banned promotional calls from 10-digit mobile numbers.

Why It Matters: Trai penalizes telcos ₹150 Cr for spam, implements stricter rules and easier complaint mechanisms.