Blockchain platforms are often rightly associated with cryptocurrencies. However, blockchain technology has enormous potential in other fields too. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) offers a transparent policy and fair environment. It also regulates telecom services in the Union Government. Therefore, it is their constitutional duty to protect customers from fraudulent calls and reduce the chances of theft.
Problem of Spam Calls in India
Spam calls have become a routine menace. According to a survey, many Indians receive and block three or more spam calls and emails daily. In 2007, the government acknowledged this problem and introduced the Do Not Disturb (DND) facility. Three years later, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) enforced new regulations to stop spam calls. Unfortunately, none of these steps could end the problem of spam calls. This is perhaps one of the reasons TRAI now wants to solve this problem by using blockchain technology.
TRAI’s Steps to Curb Spam Calls and Record User Consent
The TRAI has asked commercial organizations to mandatorily ask for user content before sending unsolicited commercial communication. Similarly, TRAI will also share consent data on TRAI’s ledger technology platform to ensure better accessibility for all telcos. Once the DCA process is implemented, TRAI will use existing consents to seek fresh consent. It will lead to digital means only.
Blockchain Platform’s Solutions
The distributed ledger technology (DLT) will address the spam issue which is in production with major firms. However, it will take some time before the solution becomes available. On the blockchain network, nearly 500 million subscribers are. Every telecom company has either one or more hubs on the DLT network. Hash and fingerprints of consents are essential. For both SMS and voice, the proposed solutions are similar.
In the context of marketing, firms can send messages on behalf of their products. However, unlike in the past, they will have to pre-approve header data to the telecom company. It will ensure that there shall be messages from that brand. The process of originating and sending telecom performances can also be verified with the help of blockchain technology. Once the verification is over, the registered senders will get the desired messages. The good news for customers is that most marketing companies do not have direct access to the blockchain nodes. For instance, Rajesh Dhuddu from Tech Mahindra gave examples of 100,000 numbers that failed both the consent and preference checks.
Also Read- China-made Blockchains to be Outlawed in the US
Bottom line
Blockchain platforms have the potential to solve the menace of spam calls. Likely, TRAI will ultimately succeed in providing some respite to customers affected by spam calls. The procedure of obtaining the user’s content seems to be satisfactory at the moment. However, it is also so true that criminals and criminal enterprises have a habit of developing new techniques to outsmart government agencies. Therefore, TRAI needs to ensure that blockchain platforms will be foolproof in nature.
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