TRAI mandates more voice, SMS-only recharge plans for telecom users

NEW DELHI: Consumers who prefer keeping their phone plans simple and skipping data bundles will get more recharge options, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) introducing new rules for voice and SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs).

TRAI has released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026, aimed at expanding the availability of shorter-duration voice and SMS-only recharge plans and making them more accessible to consumers, particularly those seeking lower-cost options.

The amended regulation requires telecom service providers to offer voice and SMS-only STVs at corresponding validity periods of 30 days or less, where similar validity periods are available for STVs covering voice, SMS and data.

Operators will also have to offer an STV whose validity can be renewed on the same date every month. If that date does not exist in a particular month, the renewal date will be the last day of that month.

In addition, operators must provide at least one voice and SMS-only STV with a validity longer than these shorter-duration and monthly-renewal options, corresponding to the validity period of voice, SMS and data STVs being offered.

The regulation also mandates an appropriate reduction in tariff for these voice and SMS-only vouchers.

TRAI said it had observed limited availability of voice-and-SMS-only STVs following the implementation of the Telecom Consumer Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024.

According to the regulator, the available plans were largely concentrated around longer validities, leaving consumers with fewer affordable choices for shorter periods. The issue was particularly relevant for low-income users who may prefer to recharge according to their immediate requirements and financial capacity.

TRAI issued the draft Thirteenth Amendment regulations for consultation on 7 April 2026. It received 1,132 responses from stakeholders before holding an Open House Discussion on 15 June.

Following an assessment of the stakeholder responses and its own analysis, the regulator finalised the amended regulations.

TRAI said the new tariff framework is intended to provide consumers with greater flexibility, particularly those who do not require data services and prefer voice and SMS-only plans.

The amendment is expected to expand the range of available recharge durations, allowing consumers to choose plans based on how frequently they need to recharge and what they can afford.

The regulator said the framework would address consumer requirements while improving choice for users who do not want STVs bundled with data.

The Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026 has been placed on TRAI’s website. The changes mark another step towards giving consumers greater flexibility in choosing telecom tariffs based on their usage rather than having to opt for bundled services.