VietNamNet Bridge – The Ha Noi Department of Information and Communications called on telecom network providers to do more to block spam messages.

This is a spam message often sent to any telephone. The Ha Noi Department of Information and Communications called on telecom network providers to do more to block spam messages. — Photo mic.gov.vn

The department made the proposal at a meeting last week with the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Despite efforts made by telecom management to reduce spam messages, it has still plagued mobile users in the recent times. While the number of spam messages has been curbed, shortcomings still exist.

Of these, the biggest problem is that network providers have not taken drastic measures on tackling spam from pre-paid subscribers who register with false information, according to the department's representative.

Moreover, that there has not been a common standard to categorise spam messages has caused difficulties for enterprises in preventing and dealing with the problem.

Therefore, the department also proposed to the ministry that it should soon promulgate a rule on the limits of text messages that may be sent per day, in which subscribers will have to register if exceeding the limits.

The department requested that telecom enterprises stop provide services with 37 telephone number prefixes and 372 telephone numbers for sending spam messages.

The department fined SIM card providers VND56.25 million (US$2,500) and confiscated 12,419 SIM cards recently.

Department's head of Post and Telecom Division Nguyen Tien Sy said that telecom providers have built a technical system which can prevent spam messages through the sources of the messages and key words.

Network providers also introduced hotline numbers to receive information on spam messages and swindle.

Network providers have boosted checking and controlling content service providers who are cooperating with them.

By August this year, Vietnamese network providers ended their contracts with 10 switchboards with phone numbers beginning with 1900 and five other phone number prefixes.

More than 600,000 subscribers sending spam and swindling messages were blocked by the end of August.

Of these, 60 per cent of the subscribers sending spam message on SIM cards while 35 per cent sent content about property.

Source: VNS