Tech News: How To Activate or Deactivate Mobile Internet Service With a Simple SMS

Mobile subscribers will be able to activate or deactivate -- Internet services on their mobile phone by calling or sending an SMS to a new toll free number 1925 from next month onwards.

The new directive from the -- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) follows a large number of complaints from customers that mobile operators were keeping the process of deactivation very complex to earn extra revenue.

The directive issued on Friday mandates telecom operators to provide toll free number '1925' from September 1 to activate or deactivate mobile Internet service either by making a call on the number and following instruction or by sending a SMS.

Customers can send SMS to 1925 by writing 'START' to activate and 'STOP' to deactivate the service. Telecom operators will have to immediately reply to customer about status of activation and deactivation of their service.

Under the new rule, the regulator has clarified that the consent of a mobile customer expires after the subscribed mobile Internet limit like 500MB, 1GB, 2GB etc., gets exhausted.

"Authority decided that those consumers taking data packs such as STV (special tariff voucher) or Combo Voucher or add-on pack will be deemed to have given their consent for data services. Such consent will be deemed to be only for the duration of validity of data pack or on exhausting the data limit, whichever is earlier," the regulator said.