Operators ask govt to allow essential messaging services

NEW DELHI: With the government banning bulk SMS services across the country, mobile operators have written to the Department of Telecom to relax the ban and allow essential messaging services to avoid inconvenience to the subscribers.

GSM lobby group COAI on Friday said it has requested the Telecom Department to relax the ban for certain essential services for the benefit of the subscribers.

"We have already written to DoT to relax the ban for essential services. We are yet to hear from them," COAI Director General Rajan Mattews told PTI.

As a measure of abundant caution in the face of Ayodhya verdict, the government the Centre yesterday banned all bulk SMS and MMS across the country till September 29, 2010.

Various essential services including alerts from banks and financial institutions were also blocked after the government's decision.