TRAI notifies Fourth Amendment to interconnect agreement registration rules, effective 1 January 2027

Exercising its power under Section 11(1)(b)(vii) and (viii) of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, which empowers TRAI to maintain a register of interconnect agreements between telecom service providers and make it available for public inspection, the Authority notified the Register of Interconnect Agreements (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, which take effect from 1 January 2027. Interconnection refers to the technical and commercial arrangements that let different telecom networks exchange traffic, so that subscribers of different operators can communicate with one another; the parent Register of Interconnect Agreements Regulations, 1999 requires such agreements to be registered with TRAI. The amendment, finalised after a pre-consultation paper, a consultation paper and an open house discussion with stakeholders, replaces the earlier requirement of filing printed copies along with a floppy disk or diskette with online registration through a portal established by TRAI, within fifteen days of execution for new agreements, and, for agreements already in force, within fifteen days of the new regulations taking effect.

Service providers must also furnish text-searchable electronic copies of their agreements and modifications. Members of the public may now apply online to inspect the prescribed parts of the register and obtain copies or extracts through the same portal, in addition to the existing means of access.