Skip to content
Log in

mobile and broadband · BSNL

How to escalate a BSNL complaint

Book the complaint on 198 or the BSNL Selfcare app and keep the docket number. If it is not fixed, appeal to the Appellate Authority for your circle within 30 days; BSNL accepts appeals up to three months late.

the rule

TRAI’s Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal Regulations give every operator the same ladder: a complaint centre, then an Appellate Authority for your state, and both have deadlines.

Have Kaval take it upFree to start. Nothing to install.

the escalation path, in order

  1. Start with BSNL itself

    Book the fault on 198 or in the BSNL Selfcare app, and keep the docket number. For FTTH, the franchisee who installed it is not the complaint desk; BSNL is.

  2. Appeal to the Appellate Authority

    If the deadline passes or you disagree with the fix, appeal to the operator’s Appellate Authority for your state, within 30 days. It is free, you can do it by email or post, and it should be decided within 39 days. Quote the docket number.

  3. Go outside the operator

    TRAI does not settle individual complaints. Next, file on CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in) to the Department of Telecommunications, or go to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915, and then the consumer commission at e-jagriti.gov.in.

where BSNL lists its officers

BSNL lists the Appellate Authority for every circle on its Consumer Grievances page on bsnl.co.in, and TRAI’s Appellate Authority directory carries them too. Appeals can go by email, post, or by hand.

what people take up with BSNL

  • FTTH (Bharat Fibre) or landline dead for days
  • Bills after a connection was surrendered
  • Deposit refund not paid after closure
  • No 4G signal despite a new SIM

keep these ready

  1. 1Your number or broadband account ID
  2. 2Every docket number, with dates
  3. 3Screenshots of the bill, speed test or recharge
  4. 4What you want: a fix, a refund, a credit, or a waiver

a complaint you can copy

Subject: Appeal against unresolved complaint, docket number [docket number]

Dear BSNL team,

On [date], [what happened, in one or two sentences]. I raised this on [date] (reference [number]), and it has not been resolved.

I am asking for [a refund of ₹amount / a fix / a reversal of the charge].

Please resolve this and confirm in writing, as required under the TRAI complaint redressal regulations.

[Your name]
[Registered phone or email]
Fill in the brackets. Send it to the desk for the step you are on, and keep the reply.

questions people ask

Who do I escalate a BSNL complaint to?

Appeal to BSNL’s Appellate Authority for your state within 30 days of the deadline passing. It is free and should be decided within 39 days. BSNL lists the Appellate Authority for every circle on its Consumer Grievances page on bsnl.co.in, and TRAI’s Appellate Authority directory carries them too. Appeals can go by email, post, or by hand.

Should I call a BSNL customer care number I found online?

No. Fake customer care numbers in search results and social media are a common scam. Book the fault on 198 or in the BSNL Selfcare app, and keep the docket number. For FTTH, the franchisee who installed it is not the complaint desk; BSNL is.

What should the complaint say?

Keep it short and specific: what happened and when, every earlier reference number, and exactly what you want. Have these ready: Your number or broadband account ID; Every docket number, with dates; Screenshots of the bill, speed test or recharge; What you want: a fix, a refund, a credit, or a waiver.

Can Kaval do this for me?

Yes, end to end, for members. Message Kaval on WhatsApp with what happened and the reference numbers you have. Kaval writes the complaint, sends it to the right desk, keeps track of the deadline and chases it, and takes it to the next level when the deadline passes. Membership details are at kaval.chat/pricing.

other mobile and broadband guides

complaint with someone else?

Last reviewed October 28, 2026. Rules change; the regulator’s own page has the final word.