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India’s telecom regulator directs telcos to block bulk international text messages

The Telecom Regulator Authority of India issued direction to all access providers and international long distance (ILD) operators for blocking bulk international text messages.
“If any source or number from outside the country generates more than two hundred SMS per hour with similar ‘signature,’ the same should not be delivered through the network. However, such restriction shall not be applicable on blackout days,” TRAI said in the directive.
The regulator said that during the implementation of “The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010″ it was observed that promotional text messages were being routed through the servers located at international destinations and were getting delivered to customers registered in the National Call Preference Registry.
“It was observed that generally such SMSs were getting originated from locations within Germany, Sweden, Nauru, Fiji, Cambodia, Bosnia, Albania, Grenada, [the United Kingdom], Jersey, Sint Maarten, Tonga, Vanuatu, Namibia, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda etc. These SMSs contain the headers which are alphanumeric or starting with +91 or numbers with international codes,” the TRAI directive stated.
The regulator stated that it had taken serious note of such incidences and had detailed discussions with telemarketers, access service providers and ILD operators to evolve measures for addressing the above practice of routing SMS through international locations.
TRAI issued the directions, based on these discussions, to strengthen the framework for addressing unsolicited commercial communications and to effectively control SMSs coming from international locations.
“All international SMS containing alphabet header or alphanumeric header or +91 as originating country code should not be delivered through the network,” the directed stated.
“Only valid codes associated with the network of those entities with whom agreements have been signed by the Access Providers shall be allowed in the network,” it further stated.
The telecom companies have been asked to implement the directive within 30 days of notification.

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