New Delhi, November 9: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has set annual ceilings on the charges telecom operators pay for internet protocol (IP) based interconnection ports, extending its TRAI port charges framework beyond legacy equipment for the first time. The new rules take effect on 1 January 2027.
The Telecommunication Interconnection (Port Charges) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026 were released on Monday. They add IP ports to a framework that, until now, covered only E1 ports based on older time-division multiplexing (TDM) technology.
What the ceilings are
Under the regulations, the maximum annual charge is ₹5.6 lakh for a 1 Gbps IP port and ₹42.3 lakh for a 10 Gbps IP port. Service providers may agree on lower charges. They may also agree on port capacities other than 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps, with charges set transparently using the same method, TRAI said.
The IP-port charges apply uniformly to fixed-line, mobile, national long-distance and international long-distance services. The earlier charges will now apply only to E1 ports.
Why the rules changed
The Telecommunication Interconnection (Port Charges) Regulation, 2001 sets what an interconnection seeker pays an interconnection provider for terminating links at its point of interconnection. TRAI said those provisions were built around E1/TDM technology and were last revised in 2012. The definition of a “port” now covers both E1 ports of 2.048 Mbps and IP ports, with bandwidth expressed in Mbps or Gbps.
The regulator said the amendments align the rules with technological and sector developments and are meant to provide regulatory certainty, transparency, non-discrimination and fair competition.
Penalties for non-compliance
The regulations also introduce a graded framework of financial disincentives for contraventions of specified provisions, capped at ₹15 lakh per service area for each instance of contravention.
Consultation process
TRAI issued a pre-consultation paper on 3 April 2025 and a consultation paper on 10 November 2025 as part of its review of interconnection regulations. Seventeen stakeholders submitted comments and nine sent counter-comments. An open house discussion was held on 28 January 2026. The regulations are issued under Section 11(1)(b) of the TRAI Act, 1997.
The full text and Explanatory Memorandum are available on the TRAI website. Queries can be sent to Sameer Gupta, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing-I), at adv-nsl1@trai.gov.in.
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