StartupTalky

Tag: Telecom

  • DoT Orders Social Media Companies to take Action Against Telecom Act-Violating Content

    According to a media outlet, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered all social media companies, including Meta, Instagram, Google, and X, to take down particular apps or content that help users commit violations of the Telecommunications Act of 2023. This warning comes after some social media influencers were reported to have given users instructions on how to change their calling line identity (CLI) while making calls, which would result in the recipient seeing a different number. According to the advice, this is technically known as CLI spoofing, which is the altering of telecommunication identity. Such tampering is expressly prohibited by the Telecommunications Act.

    Why DoT has Directly Stepped in?

    Since social media platforms are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the DoT normally does not deal with them; however, in this case, it stepped in since the content on the sites allowed users to break the Telecommunications Act. According to a source cited in the paper, any person or platform that promotes the misuse or manipulation of telecommunication identification must be stopped. By February 28, social media companies are expected to verify that they are complying with the directive.

    According to the advice, tampering with telecommunication identification is expressly prohibited by Section 42(3)(c) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. While Section 42(7) of the Act stipulates that such offences are cognisable and non-bailable notwithstanding anything contained in the 1973 Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 42(3)(e) forbids obtaining subscriber identity modules or other telecommunication identification through fraud, cheating, or impersonation. These charges carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a maximum fine of INR 50 lakh, or both. The advice stated that “those who abet any offence under the Act also envisage the same punishment under Section 42 (6) of the Act.”

     According to DoT, social media sites and application hosting platforms must remove any content or programs that encourage or permit the tampering of telecom identifiers (such as CLI, IP address, IMEI, etc.) because doing so aids users in committing crimes. The advice further stated that action against such companies may be taken for creating or disseminating content that aids in the commission of offences under the Telecommunication Act, 2023, in addition to removing such content or applications.

    ITU and DoT Collaborate on AI-Powered Digital Twins

    A strategic relationship aimed at improving AI-driven digital twin technologies has begun with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The goals of this partnership are to advance sustainable development, create international standards, and stimulate innovation in infrastructure planning. The LoI will lay the groundwork for a number of projects that will incorporate next-generation technologies—such as digital twins, AI-driven solutions, and IMT-2030 technologies—into frameworks that will help vital industries like healthcare, urban development, and transportation.

    In an effort to bolster India’s position as a global leader in digital connectivity, Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications, signed the LoI while on an official visit to Geneva. Dr. Mittal talked on India’s leadership in 5G and 6G technologies, AI for digital transformation, and cybersecurity frameworks in talks with ITU leadership, including ITU Secretary-General Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin.

    ITU and DoT Partner to Develop AI-Powered Digital Twins
    ITU and DoT collaborate to develop AI-powered digital twins, enhancing virtual modeling and simulation capabilities for smarter decision-making.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde

  • TRAI Taking Measures to Curb Misuse of Messaging Services

    In order to prevent the misuse of messaging services and safeguard consumers from fraudulent practices, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued guidelines for the implementation of certain measures. A recent Direction from TRAI requires all Access Service Providers to adhere to the established protocol. 

    In its ongoing campaign against unwanted spam, TRAI has made it obvious that as of September 1, 2024, no access service provider will be able to send messages with the URL “url(”)” attached.

    To improve message traceability, TRAI has ordered that beginning November 1, 2024, all messages shall include a traceable trail from their senders to their recipients. If the telemarketer chain is not specified or does not match, the message will be denied.

    Tightening the Security

    Given that TRAI has already cracked down on unlicensed telemarketers who send promotional messages and calls to telecom users, this latest development takes on more importance. For up to two years, TRAI has ordered telecom companies to deactivate the accounts of unregistered telemarketers who have been detected to make spam calls. This directive was issued last week.

    The regulatory body for telecom has “issued directions for enforcement of measures to curb the misuse of messaging services and protect consumers from fraudulent practices.”

    By September 30, 2024, at the latest, TRAI has ordered all access providers to transfer all telemarketing calls, beginning with the 140 series, to an online DLT platform. This will allow for improved control and monitoring.

    Further Measures Taken by TRAI

    • Starting from November 1, 2024, all messages must include a traceable trail from senders to recipients, according to TRAI’s mandate, in order to improve message traceability. Undefined or mismatched telemarketer chains will result in message rejection.
    • The TRAI has instituted strict penalties for infractions in an effort to discourage the exploitation of promotional content templates. Registration of Content Templates in the incorrect category will result in blacklisting; subsequent infractions will cause the Sender’s services to be suspended for one month.
    • All Headers and Content Templates that are registered on DLT must follow the rules that have been set out to ensure compliance with regulations. Furthermore, you can only link one Content Template to one Header.
    • The TRAI has ordered the immediate suspension of traffic from all of a sender’s headers and content templates until they can be verified in the event that misuse of these elements is discovered. Sender traffic will not be revoked unless Sender takes legal action against such usage. Delivery-Telemarketers are also subject to the same penalties if they do not disclose the companies responsible for such abuse within two business days.

    For the exact text of the Direction, stakeholders are urged to go to the TRAI website at www.trai.gov.in.

    In order to protect consumer interests and forestall fraudulent acts, these steps advance TRAI’s efforts to establish a secure messaging ecosystem.

    Trai’s Attempt to Show Caller ID Encounters Technical Challenges
    Due to technological issues, the telecom regulator’s ambitious goal of making name display mandatory for incoming calls seems to have been halted.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde

  • Trai’s Attempt to Show Caller ID Encounters Technical Challenges

    Due to technological issues, the telecom regulator’s ambitious goal of making name display mandatory for incoming calls seems to have been halted.

    In February, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) sent a message to telcos, asking them to combat spam and scam calls by ensuring a calling name presentation (CNAP) service on mobile phones.

    However, various media reports have stated that the proposed service cannot be implemented on a national scale due to the fact that it is incompatible with 2G/3G networks and would require substantial investments in network modifications.


    Hurdles That Are Blocking the Implementation


    Even if there are a large number of people using 2G, the money that these consumers bring in for mobile network service providers is quite low. Consequently, it is not a realistic choice for any service provider to invest in such a technology considering that a significant number of users are unable to access it.

    This indicates that the service cannot be provided to the 270–300 million users of the 2G network. The CNAP feature is expected to be supported by smartphones that have been introduced to the market after the year 2021, according to the information provided by a renowned media house. 

    Additional information was provided by a media article, which stated that even if the CNAP capability were included in 4G-5G devices, it would result in a longer call-setup time, which may potentially ruin the entire call experience for users.

    Reason Behind the Launch of This Idea

    In an effort to lessen the amount of consumer harassment caused by unknown or spam calls, Trai made a request to the government in February with the intention of mandating that telecommunications companies install the CNAP service and even pushing device OEMs to enable the feature within a period of six months.

    In the past, the regulatory body for telecommunications had proposed that trials be carried out in a single licensing service area (LSA).

    The Minister of State for Communications, P. Chandra Shekhar, stated in front of Parliament the previous week that the government had taken the required procedures to initiate trials and evaluations for the purpose of establishing the CNAP service by telecommunications companies.

    Experts’ Take on the Situation

    Since there are already sufficient mobile apps that accomplish the goal of knowing the name of the caller in order to make an informed decision about accepting or rejecting a call, experts in the handset sector stated that there is no actual hurry to enforce CNAP without considering ground realities.

    Concerns about consumer data breaches were also raised by business leaders as possible problems with a nationwide mandate for the CNAP service. They claim that some mobile users might be reluctant to provide their identities due to the sensitive nature of mobile subscriber data.

    The telecom regulator Trai has proposed adding the calling entity’s name to the 140-number series that companies and telemarketers use to contact subscribers.

    Additionally, the telecom department has been requested to establish regulations about the necessary evidence that subscriber entities with bulk connections or business connections must give in order to register their desired name with telcos.

    Which Countries are leading the 5G race in the world?
    5G is still near the beginning but is already up and running in several countries across the globe. Lets find out all the countries that already have 5g.
    StartupTalkyPooja Uniyal