Trai issues rules around draft consumer education

The sector regulator has issued draft rules to amend the Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund Regulations, 2007, that involve a fund used for running activities relating to consumer education and protection.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had originally notified the Telecommunication Consumers Education & Protection Fund (TCEPF) Regulations in June 2007. Subsequently, a fund was created to undertake programmes related to consumer education and protection.

“The Authority noticed there are some expenses to be incurred from the fund for preparation, maintenance, audit of accounts, and for the participation of representatives of consumer groups attending the meetings of the Committee for Utilisation of Telecommunication Consumers Education & Protection Fund (CUTCEF), for which explicit provisions are required in the regulations…accordingly, amendments have been proposed in the Regulation 6 and 13 of the principal regulations,” Trai said, issuing the draft regulations Monday.

It added that the amended regulations would come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

Trai has sought stakeholder comments on the draft Telecommunication Consumers Education & Protection Fund (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2023, by August 14.

In an accompanying explanatory memorandum, Trai said that back in 2020, Corporation Bank, in which the `fund’ is maintained, had been merged with Union Bank of India. Further, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, had been repealed by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. “Therefore, amendments have been made to change the relevant provisions in the principal regulations.”

Income from the TCEPF is primarily used to undertake consumer outreach programmes, seminars, workshops, develop educational & awareness material for consumers of telecom services. The activities are handled by CUTCEF.