The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is focusing on consumer issues. Within a week of announcing regulations for curbing unsolicited commercial calls, Trai today announced the setting up of a Telecom Consumers’ Education and Protection Fund (TECPF) to educate and inform consumers about their rights and protect their interests. The regulator released a booklet on regulation called Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund Regulations, 2007. Telecom Service Providers who have charged their subscribers in excess of the rates fixed by the regulator, and who have not made refunds to the subscribers, will have to transfer the amount to this fund. The regulation says that this fund will be transferred to the TECPF within 30 days of expiry of 12 months from the date on which the amount is due for refund.

According to Trai estimates, telecom companies have about Rs 10 crore undisbursed amounts accumulated over the last 10 years. The regulation envisages that only the income from such amounts credited to the corpus of the TECPF can be utilised for consumers’ education and protection. However, as generation of income by interest may take some time, a small portion (5 per cent of the initial corpus of the fund) will be utilised during the initial period of 18 months.

The fund will prevent unjust or undue enrichment of such service providers and educate consumers by utilising the excess amount charged from them, a Trai statement said. There will be a committee for making recommendations to the Authority for utilisation of the amount. Powering consumers • Fund to educate consumers about their rights • Initial corpus will be Rs 10 cr • Fund will also be used for research projects