India Puts 100 SMS Per Subscriber Per Day Limit

By Mehwish Khan | 28, Sep 2011 | 45 Comments

To discourage tele-marketing and SPAM text messages, Indian authorities have capped per day limit for sending SMS.

According to new regulation passed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, one mobile phone subscriber will not be able to send more than 100 SMSes in a day. Move is likely to a relief for millions of mobile phone users who receive unwanted text messages each day.

Experts opine that this may not completely eliminate marketing and other SPAM messages, however, it will largely deter marketers from sending unlimited text messages from their mobile devices.

Exactly like India, Pakistani mobile phone subscribers bear the same brunt of unsolicited text messages from marketers and cellular companies alike.

On average a prepaid mobile phone user receives 6-8 promotional messages from cellular companies in addition to another 5-7 messages from marketers. This rate of receiving SPAM messages is specifically high for those mobile phone users from major cities.

Via BBC

usama khalid

In Pakistan, its 200 sms limit per day.
- http://twitter.com/sachakaka Sacha Kaka
  
  Are you sure?
  
  There is not SMS sending limit in Pakistan.
  
  Pakistan should also implement SMS limit. 100 sms per 6 hours or 200 sms per 24hours.
  
  jisko dekho fazool bayzaika poetry old jokes wagera bheji jata hay. is sms ko forward karain apko free balance milay ga wagera wagera.
  
  Banda college gate per per kharda apnay daddy ya bhai kay SMS ka intezar ker raha hota hay, achanak SMS tone bajti hay, khushi say pocket say mobile nikalta hay dekhta laiken koi joke/fazol message/poetry/ya koi jhoti afwah wagera i hoti hay kisi farag dost ki. Mobile pocket main rakhta hay thordi deer baad aur fazool message ajata hay.
  
  Kuch log to itnay jahil hain aik dost ka message aya. Opar faraz poetry the nechay chota sa likha tha “yaar blood chahiyay 4 hours main bohat zarori hay kahin say bandobast ho sakay to jaldi ker do”
  
  Sirf yeh he nahi. Yahan to numbers badalnay ka bhi rawaj hay. ayay roz new number say sms arahay hotay hain. SMS bhejo bhai jaan ap kon? to koi jawab nahi ata. Call karo to daant nikal detay hain “hehehe yaar main hon dosri sim main balance nahi tha to yeh wali laga li”
  - haris
    
    boss gud idea n very true.. !!!
  - Anwer Baloch, Quetta, Balochistan
    
    Spam, Bulk messages… These are more in abundance in the world of email but there is no limit imposed. Of course spam SMS messages are not a welcome thing for many customers, but still in my opinion it is not as big an issue as it is portrayed. In fact I smell a rat behind this hue and cry for making it a big issue. We have still not forgotten the proposals of 1. imposing “tax per sms” and 2. a Leader suggesting “Mobile phone should not be allowed to common people (AWAAM)and only be allowed to ELITE class”, and, 3. monitoring of those SMS messages which are disliked by the ruling ELITE blood suckers of this nation. My point is simple: The blood-suckers of this poor nation are not “COMFORTABLE” with the quick transfer of public opinion through SMS packages, because this has emerged as another “head-ache” for them like “independent news tv channels”. There is an old saying, “give a dog a bad name and hang it”. So, there were/ are/ and will always be attempts by the ruling class to silence and control the people’s voice and opinion “in the larger interest of Nation and now, may be, in the interest of customer”.
- Zee$han Ahmed
  
  oh no man!! i think u live out of pak … herez condition is so bad. mostly company’s given us unlimited offers!! and u know its so bad 4 yang hearts (‘_’)
http://about.me/saadhamid Saad Hamid

This is the most awesome news of the entire century.
Shahid Saleem

Pretty dumb idea. What about services that communicate with SMS, like TCS?
- http://www.alislam.org AsadGhumman
  
  Pretty dumb u are actually who love to tangle his horns every here & there…
  TCS & other such companies can be offered special exemption if they elaborate nature of their business with appropriate licence.
  - Shahid Saleem
    
    Oh, I see. I now have to GET a license before starting a service like SMS group messaging, etc. Pity they already gave the prize to Dr Saif, I don’t think he could start a service if he had to ask “permission” from a bureaucrat (and/or pay bribe).
    
    Great idea! I’m sure it’ll help increase government revenues that way! Well, maybe some bureaucrat’s income regardless.
    
    Idiot.
    - http://www.alislam.org AsadGhumman
      
      Then u should better move to a jungle where you have no social, cultural, religious, governmental obligations…. PTA is doing great job
      How the hell you think ur money will go into pockets of bureaucrats if it is collected through a proper mechanism???? Y because Geo or Aaj TV or ARY news feed your sick mind? BTW bureaucrats are really well qualified & decent people, not like journalists who escape from studies & start journalism to blackmail or bully people around them.
      - Shahid Saleem
        
        – Then u should better move to a jungle where you have no social, cultural, religious, governmental obligations…
        
        I am under NO obligation to make someone else rich based on my work. Especially not a government employee, or government-created monopoly type system.
        
        If I agree to work somewhere as an employee, that is an agreement: i work for them in return for pay. Whether they make 10x what they pay me is a completely unrelated issue, but at least I am going in with my eyes open.
        
        – Y because Geo or Aaj TV or ARY news feed your sick mind?
        
        You are confused. I dont’ watch ANY of those channels. What do you depend on, Khabarnama???
        
        – BTW bureaucrats are really well qualified & decent people,
        
        SOME bureaucrats, not the ones who want my money.
http://about.me/saadhamid Saad Hamid

PAKISTAN, Y U NO DO SAME?
- usama khalid
  
  Saad sb, see my comment above pls.
waqas

This should be for indiviual customers
Stone

Badly needed in this country as well…. we have too many youths hooked up to SMS addiction and last I checked, we were amongst the top countries in terms of SMS sending
- http://www.alislam.org AsadGhumman
  
  True I wish k aisa ho jae, but not expected as cheap sms & night packages are willfully not forbidden here
Umer

Even 50 is too much, definitely need to have a limit here as well.
- http://www.alislam.org AsadGhumman
  
  Yes even 50 is much more than enough
Muhammad Kaleem

The usage of a thing or service makes it good or bad. Example of TCS has already given. Promotional smses can b blocked from network’s website. So if there is a limit, it’d be on some individuals, not on all.
http://propakistani.pk/author/muhammad-zohair-chohan/ Muhammad Zohair Chohan

Just ban the bundle sms packages and there will be peace every where.
- imkhalid
  
  i second u
anas saleem

well nice step by them but hopefully pta wont do such a thing cuz hye our economy is depending on telecoms
usama khalid

Aamir bhai, people usually don’t go through the chain of comments posted. The very first comment I made is that in Pakistan this kind of smss have a limit of 200 sms per day in Pakistan…..
Bilal

Really appreciatable… Dis is an awsm move by india…

2,3 yrs back I used to snd 500+ sms a day… But eventually i realised dat is just waste ov time…

Nw i also wan same restriction in our country for normal suscribers…
As this helps a lot to students in concentrationg on their studies beside dis houry based call packages should b removed at earliest…
http://facebook.com/4KaFunda Ahssan Khan

Maybe most of you dont know that “SMS” is Pakistan’s 2nd most common way to communicate with each other. more than 60% mobile users use sms instead of call.
secondly, PTA ‘ve introduced a way to report for such spam messages and they ‘ll be blocked.
putting limit of 100 messages is not a good idea, there are some other better solutions.
shahid

strange …. Why there should be a cap on sms limit.. If you dont want this service then dont use it … Good and bad things always co exist … promotional messages dont have virus in them .. They are not harmfull … But still if they are a worry for you ask for a ban uppon them not upon the sms service … And if you are asking about your youth hook up at messaging .. Then locate the real reason behind that … If you will cap sms service they will move to internet services for chatting … Have you ever thought what will happen to those youth members who use messaging for primary way of communication for a positive prospective … In my case i cant bear call costs to comunicate a small thing to to all my class fellows ..
Missal k tour par agr aj aik lecture nhi hona tu main apny tamam 70 class fellows ko aik message kr k inform kr sakta hn …
But farz karen usi din aik aur lecture nhi hona ..phir kia main aisy sms cap k hoty hovy sab ko bata sakon ga …never … Kia main 140 calls karoon … Stupid thoughts ..
imkhalid

Zardari ke SMS se be-izzati se bachne ka acha tareeqa hosakta hai :D
zain

very very good step.
it ill have many good outcomes including moral and economic benefits etc

i would suggest Pakistani govt. to put a tax of 3 paisa or 5 paisa per sms .
further it should decrease over all tax which is very high
in this way those will will use more will pay more.simple
Mani

I’ll always appose any limitation OR ban on any kind of services. This is just a wrong way to control problems. Imagine if someone ban on your voice for a moment, would you like it?. The simple solution is, just don’t use the service, if you don’t like it, but don’t impose your thoughts on the others. let’s make it free world!!.
As far as spam is concerned, te solution is simple…use technology. for example any smart or chinese phone these days has the option of blocking unwanted mms or sms or even calls. I myself have a mere rs3000 worth chinese phone, which has this spam filter and also call block feature. I just need to put the spammer’s number in my block list and it works like a charm.
- http://www.alislam.org AsadGhumman
  
  BS ideology of Free Masons…….. No further comments
  - Shahid Saleem
    
    Ha ha, blaming freemasons! All because YOU want the GOVERNMENT to CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL how people behave on their own.
    
    Who’s promoting the freemasons, Mani or you? Y O U
Javed Iqbal

Can it handle the spam messages?
i don’t think so as far as the PTA is concerened…
raheel

Pakistan should ban all the sms packages and SMS rate should be 5paisa/sms..
- Sajid
  
  Nice thought.
  - http://www.alislam.org AsadGhumman
    
    Yes I also agree
Shahid Saleem

In reality I do send (automated system) thousands SMS per day, no more than 30-50 messages per number max, and ONLY to people who have subscribed to the services I offer. Such a stupid rule here would affect me badly.

Why do I need a LICENSE to do what I do legally already? PTA has not blocked my SIM, I know they have blocked many spammers, but I am not spamming, even though my throughput is high.
Ali Ahmed

I thought everthing you send sms to me but not have to se but i tell to jalk everthing.
Karim Javed

Yeah this will also restrict guys to maintain their girl friends ratio :P
farhan

well i read many news about this limit in india
youngesters are not happy of this decision
check this link
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/TRAI-ing-times-for-the-youth/articleshow/10157493.cms
navy

Whats the best solution other than caping?

We must keep in mind that good use of SMS has become part of our life. So the question is how to restrict a person from abusing this facility?
Saeed

Way to go India. I am looking forward for such development in our country. A daily sms cap is a must. There must be some exemptions and exceptions though, that should be granted without much hassle and on merit basis off course. An the youth would never be happy with this decision, especially those you misuse this service for their gain or just for fun purposes. Our youth may not realize how important and beneficent it is for them and their future and as well as of their country’s. But later on at some point, when they grow mature and think maturely they would definitely realize the positive impact.
http://www.ikarwar.in ashu

You cant stop telemarketers to send sms because they can Buy BULK sms packages from internet and send to as much they want,,,,

THAT’S WHY INDIA IS DUMB AND ALL INDIAN WORKING IN US AND OTHER COUNTRIES
http://www.nethawk.com.pk Nethawk

I think pakistan also needs such type of limit.
http://www.nerdcrunch.com NerdCrunch

We need a similar thing in Pakistan but keeping in mind the implications on honest businesses and positive prospects of sms.
shariq

Hi,

Could you please make a cross post to this article, or post update in this regard ?

TRAI official press release @ http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/trai/upload/PressReleases/867/Press%20release%20for%20M2M.pdf

you can read changes made by them officially