The department, in an order dated March 28, said it has come to its notice that the SSSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based call forwarding facility is being misused for certain improper activities.
Call forwarding Service closed: The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) has asked telecom companies to stop USSD-based call forwarding from April 15. An official order also said that these services can be restarted through alternative methods. An official order has been issued in this regard to curb fraud and online crimes through mobile phones.
Mobile customers access the USSD service by dialing any active code on their phone screen. This service is often used to find out information including IMEI number and mobile phone balance. The department, in an order dated March 28, said it has come to its notice that the SSSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based call forwarding facility is being misused for certain improper activities.
“In this regard, the competent authority has decided that all existing USSD-based call forwarding services be discontinued with effect from April 15, 2024, until further notice,” the order said. Customers who have activated USSD-based call forwarding services may be asked to activate call forwarding services again through alternative methods.
