TRAI Cuts Telecom Appeal Window to 15 Days in New Rules

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026. The rules rework the way telecom and internet subscribers register grievances, how long a service provider may take over them, and what happens when a provider falls short.

How the rules were framed

A consultation paper on the draft amendment was put out on 7 May 2026. Stakeholders sent in 32 comments and 24 counter-comments by the dates set in June, all of them placed on the regulator's website, and an online open house discussion followed on 17 July 2026. The final regulations rest on that exercise.

Who the rules cover

They apply to an internet service provider with more than ten thousand subscribers on the last day of the preceding financial year. The older alternative test, based on annual turnover above five crore rupees, has been dropped, which leaves a single and simpler measure of applicability.

What changes for a subscriber

• Complaints, appeals, service requests and queries may now be filed through the provider's mobile application, besides the complaint centre, website and web portal
• Complaint centre support must run round the clock on every day of the week, in place of the earlier 16-hour arrangement, with human help available for at least sixteen hours a day
• Automated systems and artificial intelligence agents are allowed, but only under proper human oversight
• Dedicated desks or helplines, staffed by trained people or assistive technology, must serve persons with disabilities, and apps, websites and portals must carry accessibility features
• The window for filing an appeal after a complaint is closed falls from 30 days to 15 days, and appeals may also go in through the app, website or portal

A tighter appellate route

An appellate authority must now be made up of regular employees in the management of the provider who carry at least five years of experience, and it must communicate its final decision within 15 days of receiving an appeal. The earlier practice of settling appeals through an advisory committee has been dropped to keep the process time-bound.

Feedback, oversight and penalties

Once a complaint or appeal is closed, the provider must run an online feedback survey on a five-point scale that runs from Fully Satisfied, worth five points, down to Totally Dissatisfied, worth one point, and publish the results on its website every quarter. A quarterly report on complaints, appeals and survey results must be placed before the chief executive or the board. Every provider must also set up a Consumer Grievance Redressal Oversight Committee with at least one member from each consumer organisation registered with the regulator in its licensed service area, which has to meet at least once a year. TRAI may audit records and quarterly performance reports, and financial disincentives now apply both to a complaint or appeal disposed of against the rules and to a performance report filed late or not at all.