The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has imposed penalties on eight service providers, including state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), for not complying with regulation governing unsolicited commercial calls, Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Besides MTNL, Vodafone, Reliance, Bharti, Tata, Spice, BPL, and Aircel were penalised for non-compliance under the Telecom Unsolicited Commercial Communications Regulation, 2007.
"The TRAI has been conferred with powers to make a complaint in court for taking cognisance of any offence punishable under the TRAI Act, 1997 or the rules and regulations made there under," Pilot said.
"It can also make recommendations to the licensor for revocation of the licence of a service provider for non-compliance of the terms and conditions of the licence."
The telecom regulator has sought more powers on this issue, though the government has not taken any final decision so far, Pilot said.
Meanwhile, Telecom Minister A. Raja dismissed allegations of corruption in the allotment of 2G spectrum in 2008, in the Parliament .
“Since 1999, 2G spectrum was never auctioned...even in the latest report of the TRAI it did not recommend the auction route to maintain a level-playing field between two sets of operators,” Raja said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}“Since 1999, 2G spectrum was never auctioned...even in the latest report of the TRAI it did not recommend the auction route to maintain a level-playing field between two sets of operators,” Raja said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.
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