The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or Trai has outlined the specific format in which the compliance reports need to be filled by the companies. The parameters include a number of complaints received from customers, complaints pending resolution, complaints rejected on account of insufficient details, complaints found valid after investigation, among others. Last year, the regulator moved to tighten the rules to curb pesky telemarketing calls and messages, asking telecom operators to leverage the blockchain technology to reduce such unwanted communications. The overhaul of the unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) system aimed to ensure that telemarketing messages are sent only to those who have subscribed to them, and that too by authorised entities. Operators who fail to check pesky calls and SMS menace or do not adhere to the guidelines will face a stiff penalty. The rules lay down stringent obligations for operators, including evolving Code of Practices, maintaining records, registering customers preferences, and mandate the adoption of blockchain or the Distributed Ledger Technology. Blockchain provides a decentralised database or digital ledger of transactions that everyone on the network can see.
