Amendments to TCCCPR, 2018

• 13 Feb 2025

On 12th February 2025, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) amended the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018.

• It aims to enhance consumer protection against Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC).

Key Points

• Simplified Spam Reporting: Consumers can now report spam without prior registration and with minimal required details. Complaint timelines have been extended from 3 to 7 days, and telecom providers must take action within 5 days instead of 30.
• Stronger Consumer Control: Promotional messages must include opt-out options. Message headers will carry standardized suffixes (-P for promotional, -S for service, -T for transactional, -G for government) for easy identification.
• Strict Action Against Spammers: Telecom providers must suspend all telecom resources of repeat violators. The use of 10-digit numbers for telemarketing is restricted, and a new 1600-series number is allocated for transactional/service calls.
• Enhanced Compliance Measures: Telecom operators face financial penalties (up to ₹10 lakh per violation) for non-compliance. Senders and telemarketers must undergo biometric verification and sign legally binding agreements with access providers.
• Advanced Spam Detection: Telecom operators must analyze call/SMS patterns, deploy honeypots to track spam, and ensure traceability of commercial communications.