TRAI releases draft telecom consumers education and protection fund amendment rules for comments

Telecom regulator TRAI on Monday circulated the draft telecom consumers education and protection fund amendment regulation, for stakeholder comments.

The amendments have been proposed in specific portions of the rules after a need was felt since certain activities like preparation and audit of accounts, require expenses to be incurred from Telecom Consumer Education and Protection Fund (TCEPF) and provisions are required, accordingly.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had notified TCEPF regulations on June 15, 2007. According to the regulations, a fund called `Telecom Consumers Education and Protection Fund' was created. 

The income generated by the fund is used for undertaking activities including consumer outreach programmes, workshops, developing educational and awareness material for dissemination of information to consumers.

"The authority has observed that for preparation, maintenance and audit of accounts and for the participation of representatives of consumer groups for attending meetings of Committee on Utilisation of TCEF (CUTCEF), expenditure are to be incurred from TCEPF and provisions are required in the regulations," TRAI said in a release.

Therefore, amendments have been proposed in specific regulations of the principal framework.

The draft regulations are available on TRAI website and the last date for stakeholder comments is August 14, 2023.