Spam calls and SMS: TRAI blacklists 374 senders, cuts 13,777 connections
TRAI released its quarterly report on 13 November 2026 on action taken against unwanted commercial communication (UCC) from 1 July to 30 September 2026. It matters to ordinary mobile users, who can use the TRAI DND app to stop promotional calls and SMS.
What this means for you
If you get promotional calls or SMS every day, this report is for you. You can set your DND preference through the TRAI DND app, your telecom operator's app or website, or by calling or sending an SMS to 1909. Report spam when it reaches you, because complaints are the basis for action against senders.
Key facts
- Total UCC complaints, July–September 2026: 1.529 million
- Actionable complaints: 0.723 million
- Telecom resources barred for 15 days on first violation: 1,10,325
- Connections cut for 1 year on repeated violation: 13,777
- Senders blacklisted for 1 year: 374
- SMS headers blocked: 3,725
What has happened
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released on 13 November 2026 its details of action taken against unwanted commercial communication (UCC), or spam, during the second quarter of financial year 2026-27, from 1 July to 30 September 2026. The figures are compiled from information given by telecom service providers.
How many complaints came in
A total of 1.529 million UCC complaints were registered in the quarter, of which 0.723 million were actionable. Against 714.01 billion calls on telecom networks, that works out to about 2.14 complaints per million calls, according to the report. The largest share came through the TRAI DND app: 1.421 million complaints, or 92.9 per cent of the total.
What action was taken on senders
On a first violation, 1,10,325 telecom resources were barred for 15 days. Connections of repeat violators, 13,777 in number, were cut for one year. A total of 374 senders were blacklisted for one year and 3,725 SMS headers were blocked. Overall, action was taken against more than 124 thousand telecom resources, the report says.
What you can do
If you do not want promotional calls or SMS, you can register or change your DND preference through the TRAI DND app, your telecom operator’s app or website, or by calling or sending an SMS to 1909. As of 30 September 2026, 224.49 million preferences were registered in the DND registry, 16.64 per cent of the total subscriber base of 1.349 billion. The report says more than 1.12 billion customers have registered no preference so far.
Knowing numbers by their series
Promotional calls come from the 140 series, which are checked against customer preferences before delivery. The 1600 series is for service and transactional calls from banking, financial services, insurance and government communication. The 1601 series was launched on 10 August 2026 for service calls from utility, logistics and delivery sectors.
What else was done
Service providers have deployed AI-based systems, which flagged 18.28 billion incoming calls and 1.62 billion incoming SMS as suspected spam during the quarter. eKYC was done for 34.03 thousand suspected UCC senders, and 9.97 thousand connections were cut after KYC verification failed. The full report is on TRAI’s website; feedback can be sent to [email protected].
Questions and answers
How do I stop spam calls and SMS?
Set your DND preference through the TRAI DND app, your telecom operator's app or website, or by calling or sending an SMS to 1909. This lets you choose which sectors may send you promotional messages.
How many complaints came through the TRAI DND app?
Of 1.529 million UCC complaints between July and September 2026, 1.421 million, or 92.9 per cent, came through the app. Total app downloads stood at 4.236 million as of 30 September 2026.
How many people have registered DND preferences?
As of 30 September 2026, 224.49 million preferences were registered in the DND registry, 16.64 per cent of the total subscriber base of 1.349 billion. The report says more than 1.12 billion customers have registered no preference.
What are the 140, 1600 and 1601 number series?
The 140 series is for promotional calls, which are checked against customer preferences before delivery. The 1600 series is for service and transactional calls from banking, financial services, insurance and government communication, and the 1601 series was launched on 10 August 2026 for service calls from utility, logistics and delivery sectors.
Where can I get the report or send feedback?
The report is available on TRAI's website. For suggestions or clarifications, write to TRAI Adviser (QOS-II) Deepak Sharma at [email protected].
Glossary
- eKYC
- Online identity check through Aadhaar, needed to receive money from many government schemes.
- LOC (List of Candidates)
- The official list of students who will sit a board exam, sent by the school to the board.
Source: PIB, "1 जुलाई, 2026 से 30 सितंबर, 2026 (वित्त वर्ष 2026-27 की दूसरी तिमाही) की अवधि के लिए अवांछित वाणिज्यिक संचार (यूसीसी) के खिलाफ कार्रवाई का त्रैमासिक प्रमुख विवरण", 13 November 2026. Read the original notice
This routine notice was drafted with AI from an official source and published automatically; an editor reviews it after publishing. Report an error