Trai rebuts Cong’s charge, says telecom operators decide on SMS campaigns | India News

NEW DELHI: Dismissing Congress‘ allegations, telecom regulator Trai on Monday said it plays no role in acceptance or rejection of applications for individual SMS campaigns and it is for telecom service providers (TSPs) to decide on such matters.The rebuttal came after Congress claimed on Sunday that Trai had rejected its application to send text messages (SMS) to its workers in Maharashtra to inform them about a documentary on how Maharashtra 2024 elections were “stolen”. Congress alleged that the telecom regulatory authority had said the messages could not be sent as they were “protest content”.“Trai has noted certain media reports alleging that it has rejected the application of a political party for sending SMS to its workers in Maharashtra in relation to a campaign of the party. Trai categorically denies any role in the acceptance or rejection of such individual SMS campaigns. The approval or rejection of SMS message templates is carried out by the telecom service providers (TSPs),” the regulator said.“Trai is not involved in the acceptance or rejection of individual SMS campaigns. These functions are carried out by TSPs in accordance with the framework prescribed under Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR), 2018. In view of the above, Trai reiterates that it has no role in the specific instance reported in the media,” the regulator added.