The authorities’s technical system is effectively blocking 1.35 crore fraudulent calls every day serving to to protect property worth Rs 2,500 crore, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia acknowledged.
In an interview with PTI, Scindia outlined that lots of the spam calls originate from overseas servers, and the federal authorities’s packages have been extraordinarily environment friendly in blocking these fraudulent makes an try.
“We’ve set up a comprehensive system to tackle marketing and fraud calls. Through our Department of Telecommunications (DoT) fraud detection network, we’ve already saved Rs 2,500 crore of people’s assets through tools like Sanchar Sathi and Chakshu,” Scindia acknowledged.
The packages in place have resulted throughout the disconnection of virtually 290,000 cellphone numbers and the blocking of spherical 1.8 million headers used for sending fraudulent messages.
Scindia added {{that a}} most important drawback involved callers using overseas servers to disguise their numbers as Indian (+91) cellphone numbers. To struggle this, the federal authorities has utilized software program program that blocks a imply of 13.5 million such fraudulent calls every day.
The authorities has moreover launched new software program program that integrates regulation enforcement companies and banks, with 520 companies already onboarded.
Scindia moreover outlined plans for BSNL, along with rolling out self-reliant Fifth Generation by May and rising Fourth Generation safety under the saturation scheme by April. He emphasised that BSNL’s progress is significant, and the federal authorities is devoted to enhancing its market place.
“We’ve invested capital, provided spectrum, and are pushing for BSNL to expand its customer base and become a major player in the telecom sector. The goal is to ensure three to four strong players in the telecom market,” he acknowledged.
BSNL will also be on observe to deploy 1 lakh base stations for Fourth Generation, with 50,000 already completed. By April-May 2025, 1 lakh base stations are anticipated to be up and working, setting the stage for a clear transition to Fifth Generation.
“As we roll out 4G, adding 5G is just a matter of tweaking the core and adding additional base stations. By next year, some BSNL sites will also be 5G-enabled,” Scindia added.
The authorities’s focus is on guaranteeing Fourth Generation connectivity reaches all corners of India. Scindia well-known that spherical 37,000 villages nonetheless lack Fourth Generation safety, quite a lot of them in distant areas. However, the goal is to realize 100% Fourth Generation saturation by March-April subsequent yr, masking an additional 1.6 crore of us.
He moreover talked about the importance of the Telecommunications Act 2023, which he notified upon taking office. “Issuing the notification of the Telecom Act was the first thing I did, as it sets a 180-day countdown for issuing all associated rules. By December, we aim to finalise the remaining rules,” he outlined.
The new Telecommunications Act replaces the outdated regulatory framework based on the Indian Telegraph Act (1885), the Wireless Telegraphy Act (1933), and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act (1950). Some tips have been partially notified in June, enabling the federal authorities to take administration of telecom suppliers for nationwide security causes or all through wartime.
One of the vital factor modifications under the model new tips is the establishment of the Digital Bharat Nidhi, a fund for evaluation, progress, and pilot duties, altering the earlier widespread service obligation fund, which was beforehand used to help telecom suppliers in rural areas. The new tips moreover mandate stronger security for purchasers from spam and malicious communications.