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TRAI notified the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on 18 September 2026, amending TCCCPR 2018 to tighten action against spam.
Operators must now use AI/ML to flag suspected spam numbers and share them; five or more flagged numbers of one sender within ten days trigger graded action up to disconnection.
Application-to-Person (A2P) robo-calls must be pre-declared, and carry a termination charge of up to Rs 0.05 per minute.
Consumers get an appeal against UCC complaint decisions within 15 days, and action now starts at 3 complaints in 10 days if the AI system has also flagged the sender.
| Aspect | Before | Third Amendment, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint trigger | 5 or more unique complaints in 10 days | 3 or more in 10 days, if the sender's CLI is also AI-flagged |
| Appeal | No appeal on UCC complaint outcome | Appeal within 15 days to the Appellate Authority under the TCCR Regulations, 2012 |
| A2P calls | Not separately regulated | Mandatory pre-declaration; termination charge up to Rs 0.05/min, paid by originating to terminating operator |
| Consent | Explicit consent only | Legacy consents valid if verifiable and registered on the operator's digital platform |
| Virtual Network Operators | Difficulty accessing DLT | Host network must give a real-time digital interface |
Created TRAI with effect from 20 February 1997; source of its power to make regulations such as TCCCPR.
Notified 19 July 2018; mandated a Distributed Ledger Technology (blockchain) platform for registering senders, headers, templates and consent. It is described as the world's first telecom framework to use DLT for commercial communications. Second Amendment issued 12 February 2025.
Supplies the Appellate Authority now hearing UCC appeals.
Presidential assent 24 December 2023; replaces the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933; sections in force from 26 June 2024.
Lets subscribers block all or chosen categories of commercial calls and SMS
Key: Began as the National Do Not Call Registry in 2007; became NCPR on 27 September 2011; register by calling or texting 1909 or via the TRAI DND app.
Citizen portal of the Department of Telecommunications against telecom fraud
Key: Launched May 2023; includes CEIR for blocking lost or stolen phones and Chakshu for reporting suspected fraud calls, SMS or WhatsApp messages.
Statutory regulator for telecom and broadcasting tariffs, quality of service and consumer protection
GS Paper 2 > Statutory and Regulatory Bodies; GS Paper 3 > Cyber Security
General Awareness > Science and Technology > Telecom
Unsolicited Commercial Communication — spam calls and SMS sent without consent
Voice call started by software or an automated platform without human dialling
Calling Line Identification — the number shown to the called party