DoT's digital purge: Comply or perish in the telecom crackdown!

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a strong warning to enterprises and bulk customers, urging strict adherence to telecom regulations to curb spam calls and cyber fraud. The DoT emphasized that violations could lead to severe penalties, including the disconnection of services.  

This announcement comes as the DoT continues its crackdown on unauthorized promotional activities and illegal activities, which includes the disconnection of approximately 1.75 lakh Direct Inward Dialing (DID)/landline telephone numbers. The department has observed a rise in spam calls originating from telecom identifiers like numbers starting from 0731, 079, and 080, often misusing resources such as PRIs, Lease Lines, Internet Lease Lines, SIP, and IPLC.  

The DoT is leveraging citizen reports made through the Chakshu module of the Sanchar Saathi portal to identify and act against telecom resources involved in Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC), spam, and fraud calls. Identified cases are forwarded to DoT’s field offices (LSAs) for investigation, and confirmed violations result in the suspension of telecom services.  

Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have also been directed to ensure compliance with Unified License conditions, specifically regarding the misuse of PRIs, SIP trunks, Lease Lines, Internet Lease Lines, and IPLC, and to regularly monitor their legitimate use.  

The DoT is also encouraging citizens to actively participate in combating spam calls by continuing to report instances through the Chakshu module of Sanchar Saathi (www.sancharsaathi.gov.in), promoting a collaborative effort to enhance the security and user-friendliness of telecom services.

The department reiterated its commitment to stringent monitoring and swift action against UCC violators to safeguard consumer interests.