Indian Regulator Toughens VAS Stance

Telecommunications companies in India must seek the implicit written consent of customers – via SMS, email, fax or hard copy letter – before activating any paid-for Value Added Service, under new regulations brought in by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRIA).

The new rules come into force on 2 February and apply both to existing paid-for services, and services which were previously free but will be charged for in the future.They also require the telco to provide a Freephone number that customers can call to deactivate unwanted Value Added Services.