Trai tightens telecom complaint rules, mandates 24-hour customer support

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday notified tighter consumer grievance redressal rules, its first overhaul of the framework in 12 years. The changes introduce penalties for improperly closed complaints, shorter resolution timelines and round-the-clock customer support requirements for telecom operators.

Under the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, operators will face penalties of ₹1,000 for every improperly closed complaint and ₹5,000 for every improperly closed appeal, capped at ₹20 lakh per quarter for each Licensed Service Area (LSA).