The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked DoT to amend the TRAI Act, seeking more powers for itself, including the power to impose penalties on erring telecom companies.

In a letter to DoT, TRAI has stated that with the number of operators increasing manifold, the quality of telecom services, particularly mobile services, has been declining and there is no foolproof grievance redressal mechanism. At present, DoT has penal powers, while TRAI has powers to decide on tariffs. There is no statutory provision in the TRAI Act for penalising an operator for not addressing a problem on time. Meanwhile, TRAI is also considering setting up a grievance monitoring system to protect the interests of consumers.