Revised redressal rules, the first overhaul since 2014, require 24×7 complaint centres, at least 16 hours of human support daily, and faster appeal
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has ordered telecom operators and internet service providers to run round-the-clock complaint centres that may be staffed by AI agents, provided human assistance is available for at least 16 hours a day. The changes come under the Telecom Consumer Complaint Redressal (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, released on Monday.
This is the first time AI-based customer care has been written into a binding TRAI rule. AI systems must work under human oversight, and consumers must be told when they are speaking to an AI agent.
Operators will be fined ₹1,000 for each complaint and ₹5,000 for each appeal found to have been wrongly disposed of, capped at ₹20 lakh per quarter per service area. Late quarterly performance reports will attract separate daily penalties, capped at ₹10 lakh.
Appeal timelines have been halved. Consumers now have 15 days to appeal, and appellate authorities must decide within 15 days. Helplines must offer a standard IVRS menu with a human option and call-back facility, and services must be available in a state official language alongside Hindi and English. Customers will rate each resolved complaint on a scale of 1 to 5, with results published quarterly.
Operators had opposed the 24×7 requirement on cost grounds. TRAI responded that it does not demand the same staffing levels around the clock. Complaints received by the regulator rose to 73,081 in 2025-26 from 44,733 in 2023-24.
Consumer groups criticised the replacement of advisory committees with operator-run oversight committees, and the exemption for ISPs with 10,000 or fewer subscribers, which they said leaves rural users without recourse.
The rules take effect 30 days after gazette publication. The 24×7 centres, IVRS and app requirements apply after 90 days.
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