Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has set September 1 deadline for telecom companies to block messages containing URLs, APKs, OTT links and call-back numbers that are not registered.
Currently, only headers and templates are registered with telecom companies and the content of the messages are not included. From September 1, telcos including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are required to verify the content of such messages, following which non-registered content will be blocked.
Telcos have sought to extend the deadline, saying their DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) platforms need to be updated. The message content gets registered in these plaforms.
However, TRAI pointed out that enough time was allotted for the transition.
In total, Indian users get around 1.5 to 1.7 billion commercial messages daily. The latest move could affect genuine financial notifications if the content is not registered with the telcos.
The DLT platforms were first set up in March 2021, when transmission of unregistered messages were disrupted. The latest move could result in a similar disruption.
