SMS votes may not reach booth

Don't be surprised if your SMS votes to reality shows on TV channels fail to go through from Saturday. This is because the content providers have not migrated to five-digit SMS short codes mandated by the telecom regulator. The deadline expires on August 31.

While the content providers blamed the operators, sources in telecom ministry said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) would clamp down on the operators from September 1.

The telecom regulator may order suspension of the operations or impose fines on violators, sources say. Trai has already asked Bharti Airtel to stop offering services that do not comply with the national numbering plan, including four-digit SMS codes.

The content providers "" TV channels, FM Radio stations, e-commerce companies and credit card majors "" have blamed the service providers and mobile value-added services (VAS) operators for the problem.

An executive from a TV channel said, "We are yet to hear from them and with just one day remaining, it will be impossible to switch to five-digit codes and also inform our viewers."

He said even if the short-codes were changed by September 1, each operator would lose Rs 10-15 crore as the change had to be conveyed to the viewers through advertisements.

On the other hand, the operators were planning to seek an extension of the deadline, even though they were yet to take up the issue with the Trai.

Dilip Sahay, an advisor with the Association of United Service Providers of India (AUSPI) said, "Earlier, we sent a couple of requests to extend the deadline. Now, the regulator is clear on its stance that it will not extend the deadline. The operators' associations are also not keen on taking up the issue."