You must have heard that beginning December 1, users will receive one-time passwords (OTPs) for services such as Aadhaar and net banking. According to the reports, the delays were caused by new Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regulations that mandated telecom operators to trace all messages, resulting in delays in critical transactions.
However, TRAI has refuted such claims stating that it is factually incorrect. Taking to X, TRAI said the new traceability guidelines will not result in the delay of the OTPs. It further stated that the telecom operator would continue to provide uninterrupted service for essential services like OTPs while enhancing security measures.
“This is factually incorrect. TRAI has mandated the Access Providers to ensure message traceability. It will not delay delivery of any message,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) wrote on X.
TRAI also stated new regulations, which ask telecom operators to implement systems for tracking the origin of bulk messages and aim to curb spam and fraud messages. The mandate is also extended to November 30 to allow the telecom operators to upgrade their systems and ensure a smooth transition without disrupting essential services.
Not only that, TRAI has also confirmed that an extended timeline would not affect the speed or reliability of OTP-based transactions. In the clarification, TRAI also stated that the telecom operators were well-prepared and had already deployed the necessary infrastructure to comply with the guidelines and there would be no interruptions in the critical services.
Previously, TRAI also introduced penalties for unauthorized promotional calls, which included disconnections and blacklisting offenders for up to two years. As per TRAI, such steps have already shown positive results with complaints about spam calls being reduced by 20 per cent between August and October 2024.