TRA Drafts Rules for Phone Chargers: Comments Due 26 November

Oman's telecom regulator is moving into territory most shoppers never think about: the charger in the box, the spare battery at the mall kiosk and the cheap laptop adapter sold online. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has published draft controls on the sale of chargers and batteries for telecom and IT devices, and it wants comments from the market and the public before 26 November 2026.

📌 Key Takeaways

• The TRA opened a public consultation on draft controls for the sale of chargers and batteries for telecom and IT devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the TRA's announcement of 27 October 2026.
• The consultation started on 26 October and closes on 26 November 2026. Responses go through an online questionnaire, per the official consultation page.
• The draft covers four areas: safety, quality and technical compliance; technical compatibility with telecom devices; controls on how products are sold and traded; and the economic impact on competition and product availability.
• The TRA says the draft draws on a technical and field study that included a risk analysis, a review of the local market and consultation with major manufacturers.
• The TRA's public summary does not list specific technical standards, penalties or a start date. Those details sit in the full consultation document.

📋 What the TRA Published

In its 27 October announcement, the TRA said the draft controls are meant to protect consumers and to make sure chargers and batteries sold in the local market are safe and of acceptable quality.

The regulator described the draft as the result of a technical and field study. That study, according to the TRA, included:

• An analysis of the risks linked to these products
• A review of Oman's local market
• Consultation with major manufacturers

The TRA framed its approach as a balance. On one side are consumer protection and product safety. On the other are market flexibility, competition and innovation. The consultation asks whether the proposed requirements are practical and enforceable, and how they would affect importers, distributors and consumers.

🔋 What Is in Scope

The announcement names smartphones, tablets and laptops as the devices whose chargers and batteries are covered. The consultation page groups the questions into four areas:

1. Safety, quality and technical compliance: whether products meet technical requirements before sale.
2. Technical compatibility with telecom devices: whether a charger or battery actually works properly with the phone or laptop it is sold for.
3. Sales and trading controls: how these products are sold and circulated in the market.
4. Economic impact: effects on competition and on whether products stay available and affordable.

The fourth area matters. The TRA is asking openly whether tighter rules could reduce choice or raise prices, which gives traders a clear opening to put evidence on the table.

⚡ Why Chargers, and Why the Telecom Regulator?

The TRA already controls which telecom devices enter Oman. Authorised dealers go through TRA type approval when they import devices, and genuine phones carry a TRA stamp, as Developing Telecoms reported during the regulator's 2016 campaign against counterfeit phones. In that campaign, the TRA warned that fake handsets did not meet international safety standards and could even harm the Sultanate's communications networks.

Chargers and batteries are the next layer down. They are sold in large numbers, often separately from the device and often by small shops and online sellers. The scale is large: Oman had 8.44 million mobile subscriptions at the end of July 2026, according to National Centre for Statistics and Information data reported by Muscat Daily. Even a small share of poor-quality accessories in that market means a lot of products in homes, cars and offices.

The TRA's published material does not cite specific incidents or failure rates. So it is too early to say how big the safety problem is or which product types the regulator considers highest risk.

🏪 Who Should Respond, and How

The consultation is open to "relevant parties and the public", in the TRA's words. In practice, the groups with the most at stake are:

• Importers and distributors, who may face new compliance or documentation steps.
• Retailers and mall kiosks, including electronics chains and mobile accessory shops across Muscat and the governorates.
• E-commerce sellers, if the "sales and trading controls" reach online channels.
• Telecom operators that sell devices and accessories in their shops.
• Consumers, who can give their view on safety, price and availability.

According to the consultation page, comments go through the online questionnaire linked there. The TRA's general contacts are traoman@tra.gov.om, 24222222 and the 1000 hotline. The regulator says it will review every response but is not obliged to adopt all comments.

❓ What We Know and What We Don't

Anyone planning stock or import orders for 2027 should read the full consultation document rather than relying on the summary.

🧭 Part of a Busy Consumer Agenda at the TRA

The charger draft is part of a wider set of consumer-facing rules from the regulator this year. In August, the TRA issued rules limiting promotional calls and restricting how licensees share customer data, which we covered in our explainer on the TRA's spam-call and data rule. It also consulted in August on draft technical regulations for internet-connected vehicles.

Alongside the charger consultation, the TRA is running its 2026 satisfaction survey on telecom services from 19 October to 30 November, which also measures how well users know their rights. The overlap means consumers can respond to both this autumn.

🇴🇲 Why This Matters for Oman

Most of Oman's digital economy runs on handheld devices, and those devices are only as safe and reliable as the chargers and batteries that power them. Extending regulatory oversight from the handset to its accessories is a practical, unglamorous step. It fits Vision 2040's push for a trusted digital market where consumers are protected and businesses work under clear rules.

How well the rules work will depend on the details: which standards apply, how online and informal sellers are covered, and whether compliance costs push prices up for families outside Muscat. The TRA has asked those questions itself. Importers, retailers and consumers have until 26 November 2026 to answer them.