The regulation by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to limit mobile short messages (SMS) to 100 a day for prepaid SIMs and 3,000 for post-paid SIMs has received mixed reactions.
As per the amendments to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2011, these restrictions will come into force from September 27.
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Though intended mainly to restrict commercial (read nuisance) calls and SMSes, the regulation is likely to be highly unpopular with students and youngsters, who use SMS as a principal mode of communication, besides forwarding the usual jokes and gags.
Iti Jain, a postgraduate in management, said it would be irritating to keep track of the number of messages forwarded. “Forwarding messages, be it jokes or wishes, is a way to keep in touch with friends and dear ones during these busy days when very few have time to talk,” she said.
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Anjali, a postgraduate student in agriculture, pointed out that SMSs are a superfast means of communication, without which life is unimaginable.
“Whenever there is a change in class schedule or a lecturer hasn't turned up, we communicate this among our classmates through SMSes. Making a call for the purpose is not worth it. Limiting SMSs is rubbish,” she said.
Preety Nongmaithem, a student from Christ University, termed the regulation as curbing of a basic right. “We are paying for the messages aren't we?” she asked.
Devaki K., who prides herself for her superior EQ, has another angle. “Every time I see my friends or sister about the catch the foot-in-the-mouth disease in the wrong company, I message them furiously, advising them what to say or do or asking them to shut up. Believe me, I have to do that often!”
She says limiting the number of SMSs is going to kill a lot of fun for people like her.
‘A breather!'
As in every issue, there are those on the other side of the fence. “At last a breather!” said Vishwnath, a software engineer, who is fed up of unsolicited messages and calls from marketing companies. “It is irritating when you receive commercial SMSes, particularly when you're busy at a meeting or work. You have to open the message box to check if it is an important one. Opening the message, reading and then deleting it is time wasted.”
However, another software professional, Chaithra H.A., feels that the restriction is unreasonable. “We use SMSs to communicate frequently as making a call for each and every small issue does not make any sense. How can you expect us to ration the messages?” she asked.
Big relief for him
Radhakrishna N., a “long-suffering father of two”, as he describes himself, said he for one was relieved. “It's irritating to have two kids at the dinner table texting away to god-knows-who when their parents are trying to include them in their conversation. At least now we'll have some decent family time together.”