Govt Takes Action Against 1.83 Lakh Telecom Resources Over Unsolicited Commercial Communications

The government has taken enforcement action against more than 1.83 lakh telecom resources during the first quarter of FY2026-27 as part of efforts to curb unsolicited commercial communications (UCC), according to the data released by the Ministry of Communications.

According to the government, 1,37,053 telecom resources were barred from originating communications for 15 days for a first violation, while 46,786 resources were disconnected for one year after repeated violations.

In addition, 263 senders were blacklisted for one year and 2,873 SMS headers were blocked.

Telecom resources refer to communication assets used for making calls or sending messages, including mobile numbers, SIM cards, telecom connections and other network resources that can be used by telemarketers or businesses for commercial communications.

Complaints Remain A Small Fraction

Government data showed that India's telecom networks handled 730.82 billion calls and 691.09 billion SMS messages during April-June 2026.

During the same period, 1.085 million UCC complaints were registered, of which 0.553 million were found to be actionable. This translates to roughly 1.5 complaints for every million calls, the Ministry of Communications said.

The TRAI DND App remained the primary channel for reporting spam, accounting for 89% of all complaints received during the quarter.

The Ministry said consumers can also register or modify their Do Not Disturb (DND) preferences through their telecom operator's app or website, or by calling or sending an SMS to 1909.

AI Systems Identify Suspected Spam

The Ministry said telecom service providers' AI-based systems flagged 22.99 billion incoming calls and 1.44 billion incoming SMS messages as suspected spam during the quarter by analysing calling patterns.

Operators also issued over 2.43 lakh warning notifications to entities suspected of sending spam from June 23. These warnings are reportedly intended to discourage suspected senders from continuing spam activity.

TRAI Designated Series

The government said designated 140xx numbers are used for promotional calls after verification against customers' DND preferences.

The 1600xx series has been earmarked for service and transactional calls from sectors such as banking, financial services, insurance and government agencies.

The Ministry also noted that more than 1.12 billion subscribers have not registered any DND preference, leaving them open to commercial communications from registered telemarketers. It urged consumers who wish to control promotional communications to register their preferences on the DND registry.