The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the Telecommunication Interconnection (Port Charges) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026. They set out a framework for port charges on IP-based interconnection, supplementing the existing provisions for E1/TDM-based interconnection. The regulations take effect on 1 January 2027. Separately, TRAI has published Independent Drive Test (IDT) findings on mobile network quality along the New Tinsukia–Guwahati railway route in Assam.
Interconnection refers to the technical, operational and commercial arrangements that connect two or more telecom networks. It lets traffic flow between them, so users of different service providers can communicate seamlessly. Section 11(1)(b) of the TRAI Act, 1997 empowers TRAI to prescribe the terms and conditions of interconnection between service providers and to ensure technical compatibility and effective interconnection between them.
The Telecommunication Interconnection (Port Charges) Regulation, 2001 fixes what an interconnection seeker pays an interconnection provider for terminating interconnection links at its point of interconnection. Those provisions rested on legacy E1/TDM-based port technologies, and the charges were last revised in 2012. The new amendment keeps the E1/TDM provisions and adds IP-based interconnection alongside them.
The review followed a set path. A Pre-Consultation Paper on reviewing TRAI's interconnection regulations was issued on 3 April 2025, and it sought views on the 2001 Port Charges Regulation among other things. A Consultation Paper followed on 10 November 2025. After an extension, written comments were due by 15 December 2025 and counter-comments by 29 December 2025. Seventeen stakeholders submitted comments and nine submitted counter-comments. An Open House Discussion was held on 28 January 2026. TRAI finalised the amendment on the basis of these inputs and its own analysis.
TRAI says the amendment aligns the regulatory provisions with technological advancements and sectoral developments. It is expected to strengthen the interconnection framework and ease communication across networks. The framework is meant to give service providers greater regulatory certainty, while upholding effective interconnection, transparency, non-discrimination and fair competition. The full text and the Explanatory Memorandum are on TRAI's website.
The IDT assesses the real-time quality of mobile voice and data services provided by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). It captures coverage, Call Drop Rate (CDR), Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) and data download and upload throughput. TRAI publishes the results to inform consumers and to push TSPs to improve.
The test was carried out on 11 September 2026 by a TRAI-appointed agency, under the supervision of the TRAI Regional Office, Kolkata. It covered 515.9 km of the New Tinsukia–Guwahati railway route (Assam LSA) and 2 hotspots, Guwahati Railway Station and New Tinsukia Railway Station. The route passes through Simaluguri Junction, Mariani Junction, Furkating Junction, Dimapur, Diphu and Lumding Junction. Live data and voice sessions were run using SIM cards of all TSPs over 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks, with multiple test handsets and real-time analysis. TRAI cautions that the observations represent performance only on the day and time of testing.
The gaps between operators are wide. In auto-selection mode, samples with poor signal strength were 4,754 of 32,385 for Airtel and 4,808 of 33,296 for RJIL. For BSNL the figure was 12,486 of 25,698, and for VIL it was 12,738 of 27,285.
Dropped calls follow a similar pattern. Airtel dropped 5 of 166 successfully established calls, and RJIL 9 of 175. BSNL dropped 65 of 205. VIL lost 34 of 164.
On data, RJIL (5G/4G) led average download speed at 110.82 Mbps, ahead of Airtel (5G/4G) at 42.71 Mbps. VIL (4G/2G) averaged 15.69 Mbps and BSNL (4G/2G) 5.00 Mbps. Airtel led on upload at 11.75 Mbps, followed by RJIL at 8.29 Mbps, VIL at 5.46 Mbps and BSNL at 3.25 Mbps.
TRAI has shared the findings with the respective TSPs for necessary action. Detailed reports, including maps of coverage gaps, dropped calls and call silence instances, are on its website.
With reference to the Telecommunication Interconnection (Port Charges) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026 issued by TRAI, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following information about the Independent Drive Test (IDT) by TRAI on the New Tinsukia–Guwahati railway route:
| Parameter | Operator that led | Figure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Average download speed | RJIL | 110.82 Mbps |
| 2. | Average upload speed | Airtel | 11.75 Mbps |
| 3. | Average download speed, second place | Airtel | 15.69 Mbps |
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
Which one of the following statements about the Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted by TRAI along the New Tinsukia–Guwahati railway route is not correct?
