REGULATORY · COMPETITIVE · INDIA
TRAI proposes termination charges on commercial calls
Change
TRAI proposed imposing termination charges on Application-to-Person (A2P) commercial calls, authorizing telecom operators to use AI-based spam-detection for enforcement, and removing prior-transaction and inquiry exceptions for consent to marketing communications.
Why it matters
The draft would introduce per-call termination charges on commercial A2P calls from businesses to consumers. Exemptions to the termination charges would include government services, emergency alerts, public safety messages and cyber-security warnings. Telecom operators would be permitted to deploy AI-based spam-detection tools and use AI-generated intelligence to initiate enforcement actions against suspected spammers. The draft would remove consent exceptions based on an existing relationship, including purchases within the past 12 months and inquiries within the past three months.
Implications
- • Chargeable A2P calls incur per-call termination fees unless they meet listed exemptions.
- • Telecom operators can escalate AI-detected spam signals into enforcement actions beyond customer warnings.
- • Businesses cannot use prior-purchase-within-12-months or inquiry-within-3-months as consent grounds for commercial calls.
- • Charge and enforcement eligibility will depend on recorded A2P call status, claimed exemptions, and documented consent history.
Who is affected
- • Telecom operators (network and compliance teams)
- • Businesses placing A2P calls (marketing and notification service providers)
- • Corporate compliance and privacy teams
- • AI-based call analytics and enforcement vendors
Source
Topics
Law & Public Safety Compliance Data Privacy Technology & Innovation Artificial Intelligence