TRAI refuses to pull 100 SMS per day cap
By
Kul Bhushan |
Updated on 26-Sep-2011
Notwithstanding opposition from telecom operators, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has made it clear that it is not going to withdraw its move to restrict SMS to 100 per day per SIM for all subscribers. The restriction on SMS, however, will not be applicable on festival days such as Diwali and Eid.
“In order to curb the menace of pesky calls and messages, as of now, this (limit of hundred SMS per day per SIM) will be applicable to all users. If in future some problem arises, we will see the things,” reports quote a Trai source as saying.
The cap on SMS is scheduled to come into effect from September 27.
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The TRAI has come under fire from all corners for its move to restrict the number of SMS. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) recently called upon the telecom regulator to reconsider its decision. The COAI said that such restrictions could challenge the “fundamental rights” of a subscriber.
The restriction on SMS is likely to disappoint youth, who extensively use short text messages for communication. All the telecom operators offer SMS packs under which subscribers can avail more than 100 free or cheap SMS per day. These SMS packs are highly popular for their ultra low prices, as they are normally under Rs. 100. Moreover, the cap is going to hurt the mobile users, who cannot afford smartphones such as BlackBerry for instant messaging.
Earlier, the TRAI announced Per Day Per Sim (PDPS) rule under which telecom service providers were asked to withdraw their SMS service packs that allow customers to send over 100 SMS per day. The body then said that the move would help prevent telemarketers from bombarding subscribers with spam calls and SMS.
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