To reduce the number of harassing calls to customers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is researching a number of technological options, with Digital Content Authorization (DCA) technology leading the list and is likely to launch it in the next two months. It will be started on an experimental basis.
The list of techniques to focus on Unsolicited Commercial Messages (UCC) includes a UCC detection system, DLT platforms (Distributed Ledger Technology ) involves the process of sorting messages through
But among these, DCA technology has found the most acceptance among government stakeholders. This technology will take the consent of the customers for the brands or companies from whom they want to receive messages. This will speed up the process of getting consumer consent on the DLT platform.
An official said, ‘This technology is in the advanced stage of testing. It can be made available for release in the public network on a trial basis, but for this it has to be able to meet the challenge.
DLT platform is a digital system for keeping and managing records of sender’s ID and template. In India, they are operated by telecom service providers such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Bharat Sanchar Nigam.
Various companies and businesses are required to register on the DLT by submitting relevant details and receive specific header and message templates. These are special keywords representing a business or brand that pop up when a phone user receives a message.
The problem often begins when companies or businesses legitimately classified as principal entities buy bulk SMS from telemarketers to send SMS to their customers. Telemarketers have to register on the DLT platform.
Last month, TRAI had asked telemarketers to take action against spamming the message inbox while giving a message of action. It asked telecom service providers to clean up their DLT and block accounts of all unverified telemarketers. Taking an important step, it was also said that it is necessary to identify the institutions involved in spreading the message and if necessary, they should also be monitored.
TRAI had asked telecom service providers to disable temporary headers immediately after the period for which such headers were generated, for certain periods of time, and also ensure that the various content categories of message templates do not contain unwanted messages. There is no facility to put material. But TRAI believes that unwanted calls are an area where a lot of work remains to be done.
approval from above
Officials said that the proposal to launch DCA soon has also got the support of the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR). JCOR is the lead inter-ministerial body established last year to prepare a joint action plan to prevent spam and fraud using telecommunication resources.
The JCoR meeting was held in New Delhi on 23 February under the chairmanship of TRAI chief. In this, an official said, ‘DCA was discussed in the meeting as well as a list of technical and regulatory solutions to curb the problem at the earliest. There was talk of preparing a draft for sharing the identified UCC data by telecom service providers on the DLT platform.
Consisting of telecom regulators, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs (MoCA), the body also has special invitees from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The meeting also discussed the pan-India implementation of Central Equipment Identity Register (CIU) to prevent misuse of mobile handsets, use of AI/ML based anti-phishing systems.
emphasis on regulation
The JCoR agreed to re-direct the individual entities working under the respective regulators and departments to implement the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR) directions in a timely manner. In February 2021, the Delhi High Court directed TRAI and telecom companies to strictly implement the TCCCPR rules.
