TRAI issues the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today issued the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026.

To address the evolving needs related to the upgradation of grievance redressal framework, the Authority released a consultation paper on the Draft Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, on 7^thMay 2026, inviting comments and counter-comments by 12^th and 19^thJune 2026, respectively. A total of 32 comments and 24 counter-comments were received from stakeholders and uploaded to the TRAI website. An online Open House Discussion (OHD) was held on 17^th July 2026.

Based on the above consultations, the Authority has finalized the Amendment Regulations. The salient features of the same are given below:

• The amended regulations shall apply to Internet Service Providers having more than ten thousand subscribers as on the last day of the preceding financial year. The existing alternative criterion based on annual financial turnover exceeding ₹5 crorehas been dispensed with thus simplifying the applicability clause.

• Consumers will now be able to register complaints and appeals, raise service requests, and make service-related queries through the service provider’s mobile application, in addition to the existing channels of the Complaint Centre, website and web portal thus giving wider choice, flexibility and ease to consumers in filing complaint and appeal.

• Consumer support through Complaint Centres will be available round the clock on all days of the week, instead of the existing 16-hour arrangement. Such support may be provided through human representatives, automated systems, AI agents, other customer-centric technological solutions, or a combination thereof. Human assistance shall be available for at least sixteen hours daily.Technology-based solutions shall function with appropriate human oversight. This will ensure ease and convenience to consumers and gives flexibility to service providers in manning the Complaint Centres.

• Every service provider shallequip dedicated desks or helplines in their Complaint Centre or Consumer support centres, with personnel or assistive technology capable of receiving calls from persons with disabilities (PwDs).Service providers will ensure that their mobile app, website and portal have accessibility features in accordance with the applicable guidelines or standards on accessibility for Persons with Disabilities issued by the Government of India.

• The time limit for filing an appeal following disposal of a complaint has been revised from 30 days to 15 days as consumers would normally prefer appeal as soon as possible whereas a longer time allowed unduly increases compliance requirements. Consumers may now file appeals through the service provider’s mobile application, website or portal, in addition to the existing channels of email, post, in person, or through the Consumer Care Number. This will ensure faster resolution of appeal.

• Also, the Appellate Authority has been made more responsible through the present amendment. It has been mandated that the Appellate Authorityshall compriseone or more persons who are regular employees in the management of the service provider and also possess at least five years’ experience. The Appellate Authority shall examine the appeal, take appropriate action for resolution of the grievance, and communicate its final decision within 15 days of receipt of the appeal.

• The earlier process of resolution of appeal cases through Advisory committee has been dispensed with in order to ensure efficient andtime-bound resolution of appeal cases.

• A new mechanism of “FeedbackSurvey” has been introduced.Upon resolution or closure of a complaint or appeal, the service provider shall conduct an online feedback survey to assess the consumer’s satisfaction with the resolution. Feedback shall be obtained on a five-point scale, ranging from “Fully Satisfied” (5 points)to “Totally Dissatisfied” (1 point). The service provider shall publish the results of such feedback surveys on its website on a quarterly basis.

• It has also been mandated that every service provider shall place before its CEO or Board of Directors a quarterly report on the redressal of complaints, appeals and the results of feedback survey. This has been done to ensure suitable review and oversight of the disposal of complaints and appeals by the service providers at the highest level.

• A new mechanism of Consumer Grievance Redressal Oversight Committee has been introduced. Every Service Provider shall establish a Consumer Grievance Redressal Oversight Committee to oversee and periodically review the functioning of its grievance redressal mechanism. The Committee shall comprise representatives of the Service Provider and at least one representative from each consumer organisation registered with the Authority in the State or Union Territory forming part of the licensed service area.  Service Providers will form such committee taking representation mandatorily from those states and union territories in which their subscriber base is above ten thousand. The Committee shall meet at least once every year to review the grievance redressal mechanism.

• The amendment introduces a new mechanism of Regulatory Review. The Authority may conduct periodic reviewof the functioning of the Grievance Redressal Mechanism of the service providers by: -

• audit and inspection of the recordsof the service provider,
• audit and analysis of Quarterly Performance Reports submitted by the service provider,
• review based on consumer feedback.

• The amendment introduces the provision of financial disincentives in cases of disposal of complaint or appealin contravention of the provisions of these regulationsobserved during the audit, inspection, analysis or review.

• The provision of financial disincentives has also been introduced fornon-submission/ delayed submission of the Quarterly Performance Report.

4.       The amendments strengthen the consumer grievance redressal framework through enhanced digital access available to consumers, round the clock Complaint Centre support,improved accessibility for Persons with Disabilitiesand faster filing and disposal ofcomplaints and appeals.The Appellate mechanism has been strengthened. Structured consumer feedback surveys, grievance redressal oversight committees, enhanced regulatory review, and financial disincentives for specified instances of non-compliance have been introduced to ensure appropriate supervision and compliance enforcement.

5.       Full text of the Regulation is available on the TRAI's website www.trai.gov.in.

6.       For any clarification/informationAdvisor (Consumer Affairs), TRAI, may be contacted at email ID: adv.ca@trai.gov.in or Telephone +91-11-26769605.