Mobile users who do not need internet data will no longer have to pay for it as part of bundled prepaid plans, with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Tuesday directing telecom operators to offer special tariff vouchers exclusively for voice calls and SMS at appropriately reduced prices.
Under the Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, operators will have to provide a voice and SMS-only special tariff voucher (STV) corresponding to every unique validity period for which they offer an STV combining voice, SMS and data. The move is aimed particularly at consumers who primarily use mobile phones for calls and messages and currently have limited alternatives to bundled data plans.
What changes for users
The amendment means that if an operator offers a 28-day or 30-day special tariff voucher containing voice calls, SMS and data, it will also have to provide a voice and SMS-only option with corresponding validity and an “appropriate reduction” in tariff.
“Provided also that the service provider shall offer special tariff vouchers (STVs) with appropriate reduction in tariff, exclusively for voice and SMS,” the amended regulation said.
An STV is a prepaid recharge voucher that provides specific benefits for a defined period. Such vouchers can, for instance, provide additional calling benefits, cheaper international calls or other services on top of a consumer’s existing plan.
TRAI said it had observed that while telecom companies offered STVs bundling voice, SMS and data across several validity periods, equivalent options limited to voice and SMS were not always available. As a result, subscribers who did not require mobile data could still be compelled to purchase a pack containing it.
Relief for low-income users
The regulator said the revised framework would give consumers greater flexibility to select a recharge according to their actual usage and financial capacity.
“The amended regulation will provide low income consumers with more options allowing them to recharge according to their requirements and financial capacity,” TRAI said.
The measure is expected to particularly benefit subscribers in rural areas, elderly users, people using basic or feature phones and customers who rely on mobile connections primarily for voice calls rather than internet access.
The amendment does not remove bundled voice, SMS and data plans. Operators can continue offering them, but will now have to provide corresponding voice and SMS-only choices for the specified validity periods.
Longer-validity option mandatory
TRAI has also addressed longer-duration recharge options. Operators will have to provide at least one voice and SMS-only STV with a validity exceeding 30 days corresponding to the validity period of STVs offering voice, SMS and data.
For vouchers structured around monthly validity, the renewal date will have to fall on the same date of every succeeding month. Where that date does not exist in a particular month, validity will extend to the last date of that month.
The regulator said the changes were intended to increase consumer choice rather than prescribe a particular recharge price. The actual tariffs will continue to be determined by telecom service providers within the regulatory framework, with the rules requiring an appropriate price reduction for plans that exclude data.
The amended regulations will take effect 30 days after their notification in the Official Gazette, after which telecom operators will have to ensure their tariff offerings comply with the new requirements.