New Delhi/IBNS: In a major crackdown on spam calls made by unregistered telemarketers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) — the regulator of the telecommunications sector in the country — has blacklisted 50 companies and disconnected more than 2.75 lakh telecom resources  under Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018.

"Access Providers have taken stern measures against misuse of telecom resources for spamming and blacklisted over 50 entities and disconnected more than 2.75 lakh SIP DID/Mobile Numbers/Telecom resources," TRAI stated in a release on Tuesday (Sept 3).

According to TRAI, these steps are expected to have a significant impact on reducing spam calls and providing relief to consumers.

The telecom regulator said it had observed a significant rise in spam calls, with over 7.9 lakh complaints reported against Unregistered Telemarketers (UTMs) in the first half of the year 2024 (January to June).

"Taking this issue seriously, TRAI had issued stringent directives to all Access Providers on August 13, 2024," the TRAI release read.

"TRAI has mandated Access Providers to immediately stop promotional voice calls from unregistered senders or telemarketers using SIP, PRI, or other telecom resources," the regulatory body said.

"Any UTM found to be misusing these resources will face severe consequences, including disconnection of all telecom resources for up to two years and blacklisting," it added.

TRAI has also urged all stakeholders to comply with the directives and contribute to a "cleaner and more efficient telecom ecosystem."