India to have a do-not-call registry soon
NEW DELHI: India's quest towards setting up a full-fledged
Do-not-call registry (DNC) has moved a step closer to reality with service
providers and telecom
regulator Trai deciding that the National Informatics Centre (NIC)
would host the database for this registry.
According to sources, in a meeting with Trai on Thursday, it was
decided that customers would not be charged to place their numbers in this
registry, and
operators would share the cost of maintaining and operating it.
Trai is expected to announce the guidelines for the functioning of
the DNC in two weeks. Once operational, telemarketers would be penalised
for calling
customers who have subscribed to the registry. SMS's, however, would be
exempt.
NIC, which is part of the Department of Information Technology, now
provides the network backbone and e-governance support to Central and
state governments
and all other government bodies.
It offers a wide range of information and communication technology
services, including Nationwide Communication Network for decentralised
planning and
assists in implementing IT projects in collaboration with Central and
state governments.
Sources said that Trai would have another meeting with telecom
operators next week to thrash out the issue of administering the registry.
"The NIC comes
under the DIT and both are not keen to take up the administration of
the registry. The Department of Telecom may be asked to take up this
task. Another
possibility being explored is to ask Cellular Operators' Association of
India and Association of Unified Service Providers of India to set up a
corporate
body to manage the registry," said a source.
Trai, in its recommendations, is also likely to ask the DoT to amend
licence conditions to allow service providers to impose a fixed penalty
(with the monthly
bills) or disconnect the lines of violators. Under current norms,
telecom companies cannot impose any fine on telemarketing agencies or
disconnect the
lines of those making unsolicited calls.
In a unique arrangement, customers who enrol for the DNC registry can
opt for a blanket ban on all telemarketing calls or can select the kind
of calls they
wish to receive. For instance, a member of this registry can opt to
receive only telemarketing calls related to home loans or consumer goods
products.
Trai, in its guidelines on the DNC registry, will specify that
subscribers will only have to inform their service provider to enrol in the
registry. It
will then be the operators' responsibility to register these
subscribers' numbers in a central DNC registry.
Many countries across the world have implemented mechanisms to reduce
unwanted Unsolicited Commercial Calls (UCC). The US, for example, has
implemented
national DNC registers and telemarketers who call a person listed are
fined.
Source: The Economic Times
registry soon
NEW DELHI: India's quest towards setting up a full-fledged
Do-not-call registry (DNC) has moved a step closer to reality with service
providers and telecom
regulator Trai deciding that the National Informatics Centre (NIC)
would host the database for this registry.
According to sources, in a meeting with Trai on Thursday, it was
decided that customers would not be charged to place their numbers in this
registry, and
operators would share the cost of maintaining and operating it.
Trai is expected to announce the guidelines for the functioning of
the DNC in two weeks. Once operational, telemarketers would be penalised
for calling
customers who have subscribed to the registry. SMS's, however, would be
exempt.
NIC, which is part of the Department of Information Technology, now
provides the network backbone and e-governance support to Central and
state governments
and all other government bodies.
It offers a wide range of information and communication technology
services, including Nationwide Communication Network for decentralised
planning and
assists in implementing IT projects in collaboration with Central and
state governments.
Sources said that Trai would have another meeting with telecom
operators next week to thrash out the issue of administering the registry.
"The NIC comes
under the DIT and both are not keen to take up the administration of
the registry. The Department of Telecom may be asked to take up this
task. Another
possibility being explored is to ask Cellular Operators' Association of
India and Association of Unified Service Providers of India to set up a
corporate
body to manage the registry," said a source.
Trai, in its recommendations, is also likely to ask the DoT to amend
licence conditions to allow service providers to impose a fixed penalty
(with the monthly
bills) or disconnect the lines of violators. Under current norms,
telecom companies cannot impose any fine on telemarketing agencies or
disconnect the
lines of those making unsolicited calls.
In a unique arrangement, customers who enrol for the DNC registry can
opt for a blanket ban on all telemarketing calls or can select the kind
of calls they
wish to receive. For instance, a member of this registry can opt to
receive only telemarketing calls related to home loans or consumer goods
products.
Trai, in its guidelines on the DNC registry, will specify that
subscribers will only have to inform their service provider to enrol in the
registry. It
will then be the operators' responsibility to register these
subscribers' numbers in a central DNC registry.
Many countries across the world have implemented mechanisms to reduce
unwanted Unsolicited Commercial Calls (UCC). The US, for example, has
implemented
national DNC registers and telemarketers who call a person listed are
fined.
Source: The Economic Times
---------------------------------
The all-new Yahoo! Mail goes wherever you go - free your email address from
your Internet provider.
To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe.
To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please
visit the list home page at
http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
