TRAI Issues Third Interconnection Amendment Regulations

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the Telecommunication Interconnection (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026, on November 3, 2026. They will come into effect on January 1, 2027.

Purpose and legal authority

The amendment aims to keep the framework for telecommunications interconnection relevant, transparent and efficient for service providers. TRAI issued it under Section 11(1)(b) of the TRAI Act, 1997, which empowers the authority to specify interconnection terms and conditions.

Consultation process

TRAI began reviewing the Telecommunication Interconnection Regulations, 2018, with a Pre-Consultation Paper on April 3, 2025, followed by a Consultation Paper on November 10, 2025. By the extended deadlines of December 15 and December 29, 2025, respectively, 17 stakeholders had submitted comments and nine had submitted counter-comments.

Important Facts for Exams

• Network linkage: Telecommunications interconnection physically links a carrier’s network with equipment or facilities outside that network, including another carrier’s network.
• Competition mechanism: Regulators use interconnection requirements to introduce competition in telecommunications markets, imposing them on dominant carriers.
• Dispute adjudication: An ordinance amended the TRAI Act to establish a separate tribunal, transferring adjudicatory and dispute functions from TRAI.