Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

27.06.2018

Media and Communication

Draft Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund (Fourth Amendment) Regulation, 2018

MANU/TRAI/0075/2018

1. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today released draft Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund (Fourth Amendment) Regulation, 2018.

2. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had notified the Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund Regulations, 2007 (6 of 2007) on 15.06.2007. In terms of the Regulations, a fund titled "Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund" (TCEPF) has been created. Any amount charged in excess of the notified rates by telecom service providers, which they are not able to refund to the concerned subscribers, are credited into the fund. The income from the Fund is utilized to undertake programmes and activities relating to consumer education and protection as are approved by the Authority based on the recommendations of a committee namely 'Committee for Utilization of Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund (CUTCEF) headed by Secretary, TRAI.

3. The current CUTCEF composition includes five members from service providers' Associations including two members from the 'Association of Unified Service Providers of India (AUSPI)'. As AUSPI has now ceased to exist, its name is required to be deleted from the CUTCEF composition. The composition of CUTCEF is accordingly being amended through the proposed Amendment.

4. Further suitable changes in the provisions relating to timelines for submission of annual budget estimates (for the next year) for approval of the Authority are being effected through the amendment so that details of expenditure incurred from the fund in the current year on various consumer centric activities are available for consideration by the Authority. Consequential changes due to reorganization of some Divisions in TRAI are also being effected through the amendment.

5. The rationale for changes being made has been fully explained in the 'Explanatory Memorandum' to the Amendment.

6. The draft regulation issued today shall be open for comments of the stakeholders up to the 10th July 2018.

Tags : Regulation 2018 Telecommunication Draft

Share :