TRAI releases “The Register of Interconnect Agreements (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026”
PIB National (English) · Published 6 November 2026 · Last updated
TRAI's Fourth Amendment Regulations mandate digital registration of telecom interconnect agreements via an online portal in text-searchable PDF format from January 1, 2027, backed by a graded penalty framework.
Key points
- The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released The Register of Interconnect Agreements (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notifying systemic changes to interconnect pact filings.
- The newly notified regulations will formally take effect from 1st January 2027 across all telecom service providers in India.
- Digital registration of telecom interconnection agreements and subsequent modifications has been made mandatory through TRAI's online portal, completely superseding the physical filing mechanism.
- Telecom service providers must register all existing interconnect agreements within 15 days of January 1, 2027.
- For all new agreements and subsequent modifications, service providers are required to submit filings on the portal within 15 days of execution.
- Filings must strictly be submitted in a text-searchable PDF format to facilitate easier examination, maintenance, and retrieval of records by the regulator.
- The regulator revised the inspection fee for reviewing registered agreements to Rs 1,500 per hour or part thereof.
- Charges for obtaining physical copies or extracts of interconnect records have been revised to Rs 500 per page.
- A structured graded financial disincentive framework has been instituted to penalise non-compliance based on the nature and seriousness of violations.
- Interconnection is formally defined as the commercial and technical arrangements linking distinct telecom networks to ensure seamless traffic routing and interoperability.
Background
- Telecom networks require structured interconnection arrangements between distinct service providers to ensure seamless calls, data transfer, and interoperability across competing carrier architectures.
- Historically, telecom service providers were required to file hard copies of physical interconnection agreements and subsequent bilateral amendments directly with the sectoral regulator.
- Physical filing created substantial administrative friction, delaying public record maintenance, dispute adjudication, and rapid retrieval during inter-operator conflicts.
- To address documentation bottlenecks, TRAI initiated regulatory restructuring to modernise the Register of Interconnect Agreements through complete digitisation.
- TRAI issued 'The Register of Interconnect Agreements (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026' to institutionalise digital filings, updated inspection fees, and deterrence penalties taking effect on January 1, 2027.
UPSC relevance, Prelims facts and Mains angle for this issue are in the full SWAदेSH note.
Original report: PIB National (English)