Telecom users on Tuesday got the much-awaited relief from unsolicited commercial calls and SMSes as the new regulation came into force. Talking to newsmen in New Delhi, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Chairman J S Sarma said Trai is also planning to impose five paise termination charge per SMS from October 15th on service providers on whose network commercial SMSes originate, to make it further difficult for those who broadcast millions of SMSes in a day.

Some operators charge up to 15 paise per SMS as termination fee on mutual agreements but it is not mandatory.

The proposed Trai directive will make it mandatory for all operators to charge termination fee for commercial SMSes, at least.

On Trai's recommendation of limiting 100 SMSes per day per SIM, Mr. Sarma said service providers such as dealers of telecom operators, e-ticketing agencies and social networking sites have been exempted from the regulation. He added that on festival days there will be no limitation on the number of SMSes that can be send out from a single SIM.

Meanwhile, the government on Tuesday launched the 'Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulation', giving people across the country respite from pesky calls and SMS.