India’s telecom regulator has brought internet-protocol interconnection into the country’s port-charging rules, setting annual ceilings for the facilities through which operators exchange traffic.
The Telecommunication Interconnection (Port Charges) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026 were released on Monday and will take effect on 1 January 2027. The rules cap the annual charge at ₹5.6 lakh for a 1 Gbps IP port and ₹42.3 lakh for a 10 Gbps port. Operators may agree to lower prices, and they may use other capacities if the charge is calculated transparently on the same basis.
The amendment updates a framework built around E1/TDM technology. The definition of a port now covers both the legacy 2.048 Mbps connection and IP ports measured in Mbps or Gbps. The new ceilings apply across fixed-line, mobile, national long-distance and international long-distance services; the earlier rates remain confined to E1 ports.
TRAI has also introduced graded financial disincentives for specified breaches, capped at ₹15 lakh for each contravention in a service area. The regulator said it settled the rules after a pre-consultation, a formal consultation and an open-house discussion. Seventeen stakeholders filed comments and nine submitted counter-comments.
The result is a technology-neutral charging structure with room for commercial bargaining below the cap, but with an enforceable upper limit where operators cannot agree.
Official TRAI announcement and regulation link
