TRAI exempts 200 SMSs per SIM for automated messages

In a major relief to service providers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has removed the cap of 200 SMSs per SIM on automated SMSs or that sent to machines.

This exemption is only applicable where the machine is not a mobile handset and no manual intervention is required at the receiving end.

Automated SMSs refer to machine-to-machine and people to machine messages sent to communicate between devices and other technical systems to remotely troubleshoot, repair or upgrade them.

In its representations, the industry said 200 SMS limit prevented them from sending machine-to-machine and person-to-machine SMSs. These SMSes were sent to initiate process or application for their operational requirements.

TRAI, under its Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations 2010 that came into force from 27 September 2011, had limited access providers from sending more than two hundred SMS per day per SIM.

Such services include providing details of driver or taxi on booking of radio taxis, tentative date of delivery of goods, tentative date of attending complaint, contact details of person attending the complaint among others.

"In this regard, it is clarified that the authority has already issued a direction dated 25 October 2011, in which it has categorised information sent by a registered company to its employees or agents or its customers pertaining to services or goods to be delivered to such customer under transactional message," TRAI said.

So a registered company may send information pertaining to services or goods to be delivered to customer under transactional message category.