USSD-Based Call Forwarding:
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has directed telecom operators to halt USSD-based call forwarding from April 15 due to misuse, requiring subscribers to activate it through alternative methods.
- Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is a protocol used in GSM networks for sending short text messages.
- It facilitates instant messaging without storing messages on the operator or subscriber’s device.
- USSD comes in two types:
- Pull (user-initiated) and
- Push (operator-initiated), using * and # characters and numeric codes.
- Messages typically start with * or # and end with #, with a maximum length of 182 characters.
- It’s commonly used for balance deduction notifications and checking IMEI numbers on mobile phones.
