fter the recent amendments made to the Telecom Unsoli-cited Commercial Communications (UCC) Regulations, 2007, service providers will be liable to cough up Rs 5,000 for the first unsolicited call. The fine could extend up to Rs 20,000 on subsequent calls. Telemarketers too will be fined - Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 for the first and subsequent pesky call, respectively.

Service providers, however, are crying foul. T V Ramachandran, director general, Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI), says, �The fine on service providers is uncalled for. The service providers merely provide the �pipes� for the carriage of the calls and cannot be held responsible.� He points out that only 13,600 telemarketers, out of an estimated 75,000, have got themselves registered with the National Do Not Call Registry (NDNC). ... more