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This means you will
be able to identify a
telemarketing call the
moment the number
starts flaashing on your
mobile screen. It's then
up to you whether to
cancel, ignore or take it.
This is part of the
Preference Regulation' on
curbing unsolicited
marketing calls and SMS
messages that the
Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI)
will announce on
Tuesday.
The existing National Do
Not Call (NDNC)
directory will be replaced
by a new regime under
which subscribers will
also have the choice of
getting telemarketing
calls — if they want —
from specific segments of
the market for a time
period decided by them.
For instance, if a
subscriber is looking for a
house and wants
telemarketing calls from
real estate agents for
three months, he will get
calls only from the real
estate segment.
Currently, the NDNC
directory maintains a
database of all telephone
numbers of subscribers
who do not want to
receive unsolicited
commercial calls. A
subscriber can register his
telephone number with
their telecom service
provider for inclusion in
the NDNC.
Under the new system
too, subscribers will have
to register their numbers
with operators. The new
regulations will make it
mandatory for the
operators to stop
unsolicited marketing
calls within seven days of
registration. Presently,
there is a provision of 45
days for operators to
upload their numbers.
If the telemarketer breaks
the rule and calls from a
non-700 number, he will
have to pay heavy
penalties.
The first five violations
will carry a financial
penalty. On the sixth
violation, the telephone
number from which the
calls were made will be
disconnected.
Currently, there is a paltry
penalty of R500 and 1,000
on telemarketers who call
numbers listed in the
NDNC directory.
Moreover, efficiency of
the NDNC directory is
only 60-65%. A subscriber
gets marketing calls even
if he is registered with
NDNC. Once all
telemarketing call
numbers are part of a
'700...' series, the
subscriber will have the
choice of not picking up
the calls.            
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