The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has unveiled new regulations that mandate telecom operators to offer more flexible prepaid mobile recharge options. These options include 30-day plans and voice-and-SMS-only packages, aimed at providing greater choice for consumers who prioritize calls and messages over mobile data.
Under the new Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, leading telecom providers such as Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea will be required to offer voice-and-SMS-only plans with validity periods of 30 days or less. This initiative is designed to cater to the needs of consumers who do not require data services and prefer a simpler, cost-effective plan.
Additionally, TRAI has stipulated that monthly plans should renew on the same date each month, ensuring consistency for users. In scenarios where a particular date does not exist in a month, the plan will renew on the last day of that month. This change is intended to simplify billing cycles and provide predictability for consumers.
The directives also call for telecom operators to introduce at least one longer-duration voice-and-SMS-only plan corresponding to the validity of their longer data-bundled plans. This move is expected to benefit customers, including senior citizens, who mainly use their phones for calls and messaging and seek more affordable options without data.
These new provisions follow TRAI’s earlier guidance from December 2024, which highlighted the need for more extensive voice-and-SMS-only plans across various validity periods. The regulatory body observed that operators had not fully implemented such options, prompting the latest set of rules to ensure compliance and expand consumer choices.