COAI statement on ‘Ensuring Safe and Traceable Communications: Implementation of PE-TM Binding for Commercial Messages’

Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI

“In line with the directive issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on August 20, 2024, all commercial messages sent by Principle Entities (PEs) must now be fully traceable. Effective December 11, 2024, messages that do not have a defined or matching telemarketer (TM) chain will be blocked, reinforcing a significant step towards safer and more transparent communication channels.

To comply with TRAI’s directives, all member Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) of COAI have successfully deployed the necessary technical solutions and have been technically ready to implement the PE-TM binding process.

To ensure a seamless transition and to minimize any disruption to consumers, TSPs initiated the PE-TM binding in a logger mode starting November 1, 2024. During this phase, traffic was not blocked due to hash mismatches or unregistered chains, allowing TSPs to identify and address failures in collaboration with Principle Entities and Telemarketers.

In parallel, member TSPs actively engaged with approximately 18,000 Telemarketers (including Delivery TMs) and over 300,000 Principle Entities. This engagement included various meetings and several webinars with total participants in thousands from various sectors including BFSI, Insurance, State and Central Government bodies, etc. facilitating comprehensive awareness on the chain registration process, providing guidance on technical changes for hashing functions and addressing other operational requirements.

As of now, more than 90% of PEs, accounting for the majority of commercial traffic, have successfully registered their chains. This robust preparation ensures readiness for the transition to full compliance.

Starting December 11, 2024, the blocking mode will be fully operational. Any message where the telemarketer chain is undefined or does not match will be rejected in accordance with TRAI’s directives. This proactive measure is expected to minimize disruption and consumer inconvenience, given the extensive preparatory work undertaken by TSPs and stakeholders.

These collective efforts by TRAI, TSPs, PEs and TMs mark a transformative step in ensuring the traceability and security of commercial messages. This initiative will not only safeguard consumers from fraudulent and unsolicited commercial messages but also enhance trust in the communication networks.

COAI is committed to supporting the vision of a safer and more transparent communication ecosystem and thanks all stakeholders for their cooperation and dedication to this critical endeavour.”

• Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI