Operators asked to remove ISD facility from Prepaid mobile numbers

The Telecom regulator TRAI has passed an order asking telecom companies to de-activate the ISD facility in pre-paid numbers. The facility might be restored by the operators if subscriber asks for the facility. 

"Inform all pre-paid subscribers having ISD facility, through SMS, within 10 days of the date of issue of this direction, that ISD facility of the subscribers shall be discontinued after sixty days," Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in a directive to telcos. 

"If such subscribers want to continue with ISD facility, they should give their explicit consent for availing such facility within 60 days of the receipt of the SMS," it added. 

There have been complaints from consumers saying they have received missed calls from international telephone numbers which are premium service numbers, which charge high tariff in case they make a call back to those numbers. TRAI has also received complaints about consumers receiving calls and SMSes from international numbers saying they have won prizes or lottery. 

"These numbers are international numbers, which are often premium numbers charging higher tariffs. By responding to such calls/SMS the consumers have to pay unintended charges," Trai said.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/telecom-news/item/954-operators-asked-to-remove-isd-facility-from-prepaid-mobile-numbers.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/telecom-news/item/954-operators-asked-to-remove-isd-facility-from-prepaid-mobile-numbers.html