Oct 3, 2011

TRAI's 'brilliant' idea

1st October, 2011, it was just 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I send a message and it doesn't get sent! Got knows what sort of an error it was... Anyways, as I had purchased new cellphone, I thought it was an issue with that. However, I called up customer care, and found out that I had supposedly exceeded the 100 sms/day limit! My last few days before the vacations started had been really busy, considering I had to Python & Django... So I never faced this problem in it's first three days of its 'enforcement'!


However, after going through some stuff on Google (not the official TRAI site, it sucks: both design and structure- for eg hovering over any text brings an underline...), this is what entered my head:
  • You can NOT send more than 100 sms a day.
  • Sites such as way2sms, 160by2, fullonsms can NOT send messages after 9 PM.
  • Only 100 messages a day.
  • No more telemarketing calls or sms except the ones related to finance (read money)
  • Seriously, just a hundred?!?
  • Lifetime prepaid SIMs are literally murdered after just 20 days of inactivity! TWENTY days?!? You read that right!
  • Still trying to get over the hundred sms thingy!

Its been just over 48 hours and I've done the same thing again! No more messages till midnight! I agree they have done this keeping the consumer in mind, but wait, am I not a consumer? I had expected a protest by now regarding this...

TRAI boasts of 800 million mobile subscribers, but is this the way to treat one the world's largest audiences? Well, the only conclusion I can come up with is that these bureaucrats (or their children?) have no friends to message them back, only then can one come up with such policies! However, I am sort of disappointed at the reaction of the youth to this! Does it prove that the country's youth doesn't have the capability to do it? Or is it due to the lack of a leader? I am not accusing them or something (even I am a part), but I can't help but wonder why this has been treated with such a lukewarm response! It is also possible that it is just a publicity stunt by TRAI (personally I had never bothered about that teeny weeny organisation until it made my life living hell by making my phone sort of disabled...) I had initially hoped that this would bring about a revolution which would force TRAI to withdraw these stupid rules (read '100 sms/day') but after observing for some time, it just looks like a far fetched dream...

Now comes the big question: how to send more than 100 sms per day? Even I am clueless! The only way out now is to use multiple SIMs but, then again, after 20 days of inactivity, they are discontinued (I am wondering what will happen when I come home for my holidays...) If you find an alternative, feel free to post it as a comment here!

However, if you are care enough, drop an email and let them know you are concerned!

CONTACT TRAI:
THE TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA
Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan,
(next to Zakir Hussain College)
Jawaharlal Nehru Marg
(Old Minto Road)
New Delhi : 110 002
Telephone No. : 91-11-2323 6308 (Reception), 2323 3466, 2322 0534, 2321 3223
Fax No. : 91-11-2321 3294(Reception)
E-mail : ap@trai.gov.in


UPDATE:
As of now (6/10), way2sms just mailed me saying they're back online 24x7 and you can send messages to any no, anytime :) ON YOUR FACE, TRAI! To hell with your 100 message policy!

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1 responses:

Ayushi Thapliyal said...

This is so true. And its utterly brainless and in considerate of TRAI to cap the numbr of text messages. Anyways loved your blog. Good going!! :-)

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