Trai extends time for views on consumer regulation drafts

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today extended the last date for seeking public views on draft regulations on consumer protection and redressal frameworks to August 4.

The earlier deadline for the submission of stakeholder views on the drafts - Telecom Consumers Protection and Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal - was July 25.

Trai has elaborated a number of steps that need to be followed by telecom companies to protect the interest of telecom users, and has stressed upon timely redressal of their problems.

The regulator has also proposed the idea of providing bills to pre-paid users under Telecom Consumer Protection Regulation.

"Every service provider shall, on request from any consumer, who has been provided with pre-paid mobile connection, supply such consumer, at a reasonable cost and within a time period of fifteen days of receipt of such request, the information relating to the itemised usage charges," Trai states.

In the other draft, Trai has asked all service providers to set-up compliant centres within 60 days of implementation of the proposed regulation. These complaint centres should provide service to consumers in their language.