Guidelines against illegal sale of radio equipment to help improve mobile QoS: COAI

NEW DELHI: The recently notified guidelines against the prevention and regulation of illegal sales of radio equipment, including walkie-talkies, on e-commerce platforms will help improve mobile quality of services (QoS) and uphold consumer rights, telecom carriers said on Monday.

With the guidelines being notified on May 27, 2025, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) said it aims to enforce penalties and platform liability in case of non-compliance, mandate verification of seller credentials and certification, introduce automated monitoring and takedown mechanisms for unauthorised listing, and drive consumer awareness through disclosures.

‘We sincerely thank the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for recognising the gravity of the issue and responding with these decisive measures. We believe that this proactive step will go a long way in ensuring quality of service and upholding consumer rights,’ said SP Kochhar, director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

The Delhi-based association represents telecom incumbents including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi).

According to COAI, the guidelines also provide a much-needed regulatory response to the persistent challenge of illegal sale and misuse of unauthorised wireless devices, including mobile signal boosters and jammers.

Telcos have particularly hailed Clause 4(i)(b) of the guidelines, which explicitly prohibits online platforms from allowing the listing or sale of mobile signal boosters and wireless jammers, recognising the widespread network disruptions and consumer grievances these unauthorised devices have caused.

Notably, COAI has repeatedly raised concerns regarding the rampant and illegal sale of such devices on e-commerce platforms and their unauthorised installation in residential and commercial establishments, which have been found to cause significant degradation in network quality and consumer experience across licensed telecom networks.