Administrative Law (PSDA) 

 
 
 

Application before TRAI  

(Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India)  
and  
Research paper 
 
 
 
Submitted to: Submitted by: 
Mr. Amit Pratap Singh Sannidhi Sharma 
II-C 
17810303815 
Index
 
 
 
 
 

S No.  Particulars  Page No. 

Application Before Trai (Telecom 

1.  2 
Regulatory authority of India) 

2.  Research Paper On TRAI  4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1
Application Before TRAI 
 
The Honorable R.S. Sharma Dated: 2nd April 2017
Chairman, TRAI
Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan
Jawaharlal Nehru Marg
New Delhi: 110 002

Ref: Complaint No. 38/9833452

Sub: License Renewal

Sir,

Triffalo is one of the leading service providers of this country since the past
15 years. Our license was approved after conflicts and long deliberations.
But today, more than 2 crore citizens use our service provider. Even after
achieving so much in just a span of 15 years and striving so hard to provide
better services to our customers, Our repeated attempts at License
Renewal of our service provider have failed.

Our license duration was from March 2002- March 2017. Since January
2017, we’ve been repeatedly attempting to renew our license, but have
been declined. After contacting the grievance desk, no answers were
provided stating the reasons for rejection of our license renewal. Different
vague reasons like, its in process, the process is lengthy etc. have been
given to us by the employees at TRAI.

The license renewal is not only hampering the goodwill we have in the
market but also is acting as a hurdle in our upgradation of technologies as

2
the spectrum and other machine upgradation require license certificate.
Our customers are declining day by day due to the uncertainty of renewal
of our license.

Also, this time being the end of the year, we’ve occured huge losses due to
the delay in renewal of our license as service provider and also it being the
busiest time of the year due to all the financial statements and other charts
being prepared.

Kindly look into the matter and provide us with an immediate reply
regarding the renewal of our license.

With Regards,

Purshottam Ohri
(Chairman)
Triffalo Enterprises

 
3
Research Paper on TRAI 
 
#Introduction 
 
The  ​Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (​TRAI​)  is  the  regulator  of  the 
telecommunications sector in India. 
 
The  entry  of  private  service  providers  brought  with  it  the  inevitable  need 
for  independent  regulation.  The  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India 
(TRAI)  was,  thus,  established  with  effect  from  20th  February  1997  by  an 
Act  of  Parliament,  called  the  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  Act, 
1997,  to  regulate  telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for 
telecom services which were earlier vested in the Central Government. 
 
TRAI's  mission  is  to  create  and  nurture  conditions  for  growth  of 
telecommunications  in  the  country  in  a  manner  and  at  a  pace  which  will 
enable India to play a leading role in emerging global information society. 
One  of  the  main  objectives  of  TRAI  is  to  provide  a  fair  and  transparent 
policy  environment  which  promotes  a  level  playing  field  and  facilitates 
fair competition. 
 
In  pursuance  of  above  objective  TRAI  has  issued  from  time  to  time  a  large 
number  of  regulations,  orders  and  directives  to  deal  with  issues  coming 

4
before  it  and  provided  the  required  direction  to  the  evolution  of  Indian 
telecom  market  from  a  Government  owned  monopoly  to  a  multi  operator 
multi service open competitive market. 
 
The  directions,  orders  and  regulations  issued  cover  a  wide  range  of 
subjects  including  tariff,  interconnection  and  quality  of  service  as  well  as 
governance of the Authority. 
 
The  TRAI  Act  was  amended  by  an  ordinance,  effective  from  24  January 
2000,  establishing  a  Telecommunications  Dispute  Settlement  and 
Appellate  Tribunal  (TDSAT)  to  take  over  the  adjudicatory  and  disputes 
functions  from  TRAI.  TDSAT  was  set  up  to  adjudicate  any  dispute  between 
a  licensor  and  a  licensee,  between  two  or  more  service  providers, between 
a  service  provider  and  a  group  of  consumers,  and  to  hear  and  dispose  of 
appeals against any direction, decision or order of TRAI. 

TRAI's  mission  is  to  create  and  nurture  conditions  for  growth  of 
telecommunications  in  India  to  enable  the  country  to  have  a  leading  role 
in the emerging global information society. 

 
 
 
5
#Functionality 
 
The major functions of the Authority related to-  
 
(a) Make recommendations, either suo motu or on a request from the 
licensor, on the following matters, namely:-  
 
i. need and timing for introduction of new service provider;  
ii. terms and conditions of license to a service provider;  
iii. revocation of license for non-compliance of terms and conditions of 
license:  
iv. measures to facilitate competition and promote efficiency in the 
operation of telecommunication services so as to facilitate growth in such 
services.  
v. technological improvements in the services provided by the service 
providers.  
vi. type of equipment to be used by the service providers after inspection of 
equipment used in the network.  
vii. measures for the development of telecommunication technology and 
any other matter relatable to telecommunication industry in general;  
viii. efficient management of available spectrum; 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6
(b) Discharge the following functions, namely:- 
 
i. ensure compliance of terms and conditions of license;  
ii. Fix the terms and conditions of inter-connectivity between the service 
providers; 
iii. Ensure technical compatibility and effective inter-connection between 
different service providers.  
iv. Regulate arrangement amongst service providers of sharing their 
revenue derived from providing telecommunication services;  
v. lay down the standards of quality of service to be provided by the 
service providers and ensure the quality of service and conduct the 
periodical survey of such service provided by the service providers so as to 
protect interest of the consumers of telecommunication services;  
vi. Lay down and ensure the time period for providing local and long 
distance circuits of telecommunication between different service 
providers;  
vii. Ensure effective compliance of universal service obligations:  
 
(c) Levy fees and other charges at such rates and in respect of such 
services as may be determined by regulations.  
 
(d) Perform such other functions including such administrative and 
financial functions as may be entrusted to it by the Central Government or 
as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act. 

 
 

7
#Constitution 
 
* TRAI establishment act 
 
Central Government of India appoints a Chairperson and maximum six 
other members in Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India. The 
Chairperson must have worked as Supreme Court Judge or Chief Justice of 
a High Court. The TRAI members should have professional knowledge in 
telecommunication industry, finance, law, accountancy, and 
management. 
 
Any person with working experience for minimum 3 years as Secretary or 
additional Secretary or any equivalent post in the Central or State 
Governments in India are also eligible for posts of TRAI Chairperson and 
Members. TRAI authority can appoint officers and other employees as and 
when required for efficient functions of the authority. 
 
The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 
2000, establishing a Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and 
Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes 
functions from TRAI. TDSAT was set up to adjudicate any dispute between 
a licensor and a licensee, between two or more service providers, between 
a service provider and a group of consumers, and to hear and dispose of 
appeals against any direction, decision or order of TRAI. 
 
 

 
 
 

8
 
#Dispute Mechanism 
 
Since there are now several Service Providers providing each of these 
various services across the country in each Sector it is necessary to 
regulate and provide uniform and effective guiding principles that would 
minimize customer grievances and ensure satisfactory provision of 
Telecom Services by the Service Providers. The Parliament has, 
accordingly provided for certain measures in the TRAI Act, 1997 to address 
these issues and to xxxii protect consumer interest, the highlights of which 
are extracted : 
 
A. TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA ACT, 1997 
 
1. Preamble 
2. Section 11 
3. Section 14 "Establishment of Appellate Tribunal.” 
4. Section 14A (1) and (2) and (3) "Application for settlement of disputes and 
appeals to Appellate Tribunal” 
5. Section 15 "Civil court not to have jurisdiction” 
6. Section 18 "Appeal to Supreme Court” 
 
B. CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, 1986 
 
1. Preamble 
2. Section 2 
3. Section 3 "Act not in derogation of any other law” 
4. Section 12 "Manner in which complaint shall be made” 
5. Section 13 "Procedure on admission of complaint” 
6. Section 14 "Findings of the District Forum” 
7. Section 15 and 19: Appeal 

9
 
 

#Legal Framework 
 
“Telecommunications” falls under the legislative competence of the Union 
and not the States. Consequently the Legal framework governing 
Telecommunication Sector is within the control of the Union Government 
and the Parliament. This Legal Framework is provided by: 
 
I. The Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and the rules made there under. 
II. The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 and the rules made there under. 
III. The Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act 1950, and the rules 
made there under. 
IV. The Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1996, the rules made 
there under. 
V. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997 the rules made 
there under. 
 
Telecommunications is an infrastructure in which rapid technological 
advance has been occurring and the risk of obsolescence is comparatively 
higher than any other infrastructure sectors. In this sector the facility is 
never really achieved because the network established has to be either 
constantly expanded or constantly upgraded to provide latest services 
possible. 
 
One point of view can be that the legal framework regulating this sector 
lags behind in the regulation of the technology and services actually 
available in the sector. It can be stated that one of the lacuna of the 
relevant legal framework is that it attempts to deal with specialized form 
of telecommunication services under a single umbrella legislation. (For 
10
example: The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885). Such features of the 
Telecommunication Sector raise certain issues like financing of its projects 
and more importantly nature of the legal and contractual framework 
required to regulate the sector. 
 
Over the years of implementation of Legal Framework, 
Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India is the only body that 
has gained reputation of an independent, competent and assertive 
regulator performing its recommendatory and regulatory functions in an 
impartial manner. 
 
The Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India Act 1997 
The genesis of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India 
(TRAI) lies in the bidding process for the grant of cellular licenses and the 
litigation that followed the grant of the first set of cellular licenses under 
the Telecom Policy of 1994. 
 
In the litigation that followed the award of the licenses, one of the grounds 
of challenge of the Telecom Policy 1944 was that, the policy neither 
provided for the creation of separate telecom regulatory authority, nor 
did it provide for the delegation of power by the Central Government to 
such an authority to supervise the functioning of Telecom Policy of 1944. 
 
The Apex Court strongly emphasized that: 
The existence of a Telecom Regulatory Authority with the appropriate 
powers is essential for introduction of plurality in the telecom sector….. 
The National Telecom Policy is a historic departure from practice followed 
during the last century….The Central Government and the Telecom 
regulatory Authority should not behave as sleeping trustees but have to 
function as active trustees for public good. 
 
In  the  light  of  what  was  laid  down  by  the  Supreme  Court,  it  was  quite 
ironical  that  the  first  major  dispute,  entered  into  by  TRAI,  was  between 
11
itself  and  The  Central  Government. In Union of India v Telecom Regulatory 
Authority  of  India  it  was  clearly  held  by  the  ​High  Court  of  Delhi  that  the 
question  of  grant  or  amendment  of  a  license  by  the  Central  Government 
acting  in  its  capacity  as  the  licensor  falls  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
powers of TRAI. 
 
The  TRAI  Act  which  was  amended  and  passed  in  2000  and  the  framework 
relating to the TRAI currently in force have been analyzed subsequently. 
 
Legal Framework Of Trai Act (Amended) 2000 
According  to  the  TRAI  act  amended  in  2000,  the  functions  of  the  original 
TRAI have now been divided between two separate bodies namely: 
 
i. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) 
ii. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal 
 
The  Recommendatory  and  Regulatory  functions  are  vested  with  the  TRAI 
while dispute settlement functions are handled by the Appellate Tribunal. 
 
 

12