Latest news with #TelecomCommercialCommunicationCustomerPreferenceRegulations
The Print
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
Telcos roll out suffix on SMS headers to identify spam, share concern over gaps in OTTs
'All telecom service providers (TSPs) have implemented the promotional ('P'), service-related ('S'), transactional ('T') and government ('G') communications suffix system on SMS headers, as mandated by the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) vide its Amendment to the TCCCP Regulation dated 12th February 2025,' COAI Director General, SP Kochhar said in a statement. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents telecom operators like Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea, expressed concern over spammers taking the route of over-the-top or internet messaging apps which defeats the purpose of enforcing stringent measures to check spam and fraud messages. New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Mobile users will now be able to differentiate between genuine and spam SMS as telecom operators have rolled out suffixes that will appear before the sender's name or header, industry body COAI said on Tuesday. He said that the implementation has enhanced transparency and consumer protection as such categorization enables subscribers to easily identify the nature of incoming messages, reducing spam, strengthening compliance and improving overall trust and convenience for users. 'Users can easily identify and differentiate promotional, service-related, transactional and government messages at a glance. Clearly marking promotional messages ('P') and thus, helping subscribers avoid unwanted marketing communication, effectively reducing spam. Customers can readily identify genuine transactional ('T') and service-related ('S') messages, reducing the likelihood of fraud or scams,' Kochhar said. He, however, expressed concern as spammers and scamsters continue to take the route of messaging apps which remains unregulated. 'The concerns persist regarding the use of OTT Communication services for increasing spam and fraud messages, as the success of any consent framework or spam mitigation measure is incomplete if large parts of the communication ecosystem remain unregulated. 'This regulatory gap is increasingly being exploited, with a growing share of scams and unsolicited promotions now originating on OTT apps, adding to customer woes,' Kochhar said. He said that the non-regulation of OTTs apps creates an uneven playing field between the TSPs and the OTT Communication Services, raising privacy, traceability and national security concerns. 'COAI maintains that bridging this loophole through a unified consent management framework that brings all platforms, including OTTs, under its purview is critical to protect consumers and ensure consistency across the ecosystem,' Kochhar said. PTI PRS DRR This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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Business Standard
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Telcos complete rollout of SMS headers to identify messages, reduce spam
Domestic telecom operators implement SMS header system to categorise messages and enhance transparency, reducing spam and increasing consumer trust, says COAI BS Reporter New Delhi Domestic telecom operators have successfully implemented the promotional, service-related, transactional, and government communications suffix system on short messaging service (SMS) headers, according to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The communications suffix system on SMS headers was mandated by the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), following an amendment to the TCCCP Regulation on 12 February. 'This implementation has enhanced transparency and consumer protection, as such categorisation enables subscribers to easily identify the nature of incoming messages, reducing spam, strengthening compliance, and improving overall trust and convenience for users,' COAI said. With the completion of the communication suffix system implementation, users can now easily identify and differentiate promotional, service-related, transactional, and government messages, making it easier to spot genuine transactional and service-related messages. This will reduce the likelihood of fraud or scams, COAI added. The new categorisation system was introduced by the government in February this year to stem the growing number of unsolicited and spam messages.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Telcos roll out suffix on SMS headers to identify spam, share concern over gaps in OTTs
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Mobile users will now be able to differentiate between genuine and spam SMS as telecom operators have rolled out suffixes that will appear before the sender's name or header, industry body COAI said on Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents telecom operators like Reliance Jio, Airtel Vodafone Idea , expressed concern over spammers taking the route of over-the-top or internet messaging apps which defeats the purpose of enforcing stringent measures to check spam and fraud messages."All telecom service providers (TSPs) have implemented the promotional ('P'), service-related ('S'), transactional ('T') and government ('G') communications suffix system on SMS headers , as mandated by the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) vide its Amendment to the TCCCP Regulation dated 12th February 2025," COAI Director General, SP Kochhar said in a said that the implementation has enhanced transparency and consumer protection as such categorization enables subscribers to easily identify the nature of incoming messages, reducing spam, strengthening compliance and improving overall trust and convenience for users."Users can easily identify and differentiate promotional, service-related, transactional and government messages at a glance. Clearly marking promotional messages ('P') and thus, helping subscribers avoid unwanted marketing communication, effectively reducing spam. Customers can readily identify genuine transactional ('T') and service-related ('S') messages, reducing the likelihood of fraud or scams," Kochhar however, expressed concern as spammers and scamsters continue to take the route of messaging apps which remains unregulated."The concerns persist regarding the use of OTT Communication services for increasing spam and fraud messages, as the success of any consent framework or spam mitigation measure is incomplete if large parts of the communication ecosystem remain unregulated."This regulatory gap is increasingly being exploited, with a growing share of scams and unsolicited promotions now originating on OTT apps, adding to customer woes," Kochhar said that the non-regulation of OTTs apps creates an uneven playing field between the TSPs and the OTT Communication Services, raising privacy, traceability and national security concerns."COAI maintains that bridging this loophole through a unified consent management framework that brings all platforms, including OTTs, under its purview is critical to protect consumers and ensure consistency across the ecosystem," Kochhar said.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Telcos implement suffixes for SMS headers, urge for unified consent framework
NEW DELHI: The telecom industry on Tuesday said it has successfully implemented suffixes to SMS headers, as per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India 's ( TRAI ) latest amendment, to improve transparency of communications and reduce spam and unsolicited messages. These suffixes for SMS headers include promotional ('P'), service-related ('S'), transactional ('T') and Government ('G') communications, as mandated by the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) vide its amendment to the TCCCP Regulation dated February 12, 2025. 'This implementation has enhanced transparency and consumer protection as such categorisation enables subscribers to easily identify the nature of incoming messages, reducing spam, strengthening compliance and improving overall trust and convenience for users,' SP Kochhar, director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India ( COAI ), said in a statement. The Delhi-based association represents telecom incumbents Reliance Jio , Bharti Airtel , and Vodafone Idea (Vi). Kochhar said the approach promotes a safer and consumer-friendly communication ecosystem, but warned that over-the-top (OTT) communication services are being consistently utilised for spam and fraud menssages, noting that the success of any consent framework or spam mitigation measure is incomplete if 'large parts of the communication ecosystem remain unregulated'. 'This regulatory gap is increasingly being exploited, with a growing share of scams and unsolicited promotions now originating on OTT apps, adding to customer woes. Moreover, this creates an uneven playing field between the TSPs and the OTT communication services, raising privacy, traceability and national security concerns,' Kochhar said. COAI suggested that bridging the regulatory loophole through a unified consent management framework that brings all platforms, including OTTs, under its purview is 'critical to protect consumers and ensure consistency across the ecosystem'.
