TRAI issues Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations, 2012

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has come up with new regulation focused on protecting the interests of the consumer. Called the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations, 2012, the regulations seek to provide information to pre-paid consumers on activation of voucher.

The new regulation demands that service provider provides information on the starter kit like SIM card, if applicable, mobile number (in cases where the subscriber is enrolled other than through mobile number portability), information about the type of connection - prepaid or post-paid and information about customer care number.

On activation of a subscription voucher, the service provider should provide through SMS information like activation of plan, title of the plan and validity period of the plan. Likewise, on activation of top-up voucher, the service provider should provide total amount charged, processing fee or administration charge, taxes deducted, net monetary value added and total available monetary value through SMS.

This is applicable to special tariff vouchers and any other plans the service provider may offer the consumer.

The consumer should also be provided with information relating to usage after every call like duration of the call, charges deducted for the call, balance in the account and in case of special tariff voucher, and minutes of usage deducted and balance minutes of usage available.

The service provider should also provide the consumer information on the quantum of data usage, charges deducted and balance available and the validity of the service period after every session.