Voice and SMS Plans
TRAI Mandates New Voice and SMS Only Prepaid Plans for Users
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Key Points
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The mandate could benefit more than 20 crore telecom customers who primarily use their phones for calls and SMS, according to reporting on the new rules.
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Telecom operators had opposed the proposal, warning that it could affect their existing tariff structures and the way voice, SMS and data services are packaged.
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The amendment follows TRAI’s 2024 consumer-protection rules, which already required each provider to offer at least one voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Voucher; TRAI later found that few such plans had entered the market and that most had longer validity periods.
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The new rules do not require existing unlimited data bundles to become cheaper; instead, they are intended to prevent customers from having to purchase unwanted data merely to keep voice and SMS service active.
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TRAI formally issued the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, on September 22, establishing the revised framework for voice-and-SMS-only prepaid vouchers.
India's telecom regulator issued new rules on September 22 requiring phone companies to offer voice-and-SMS-only plans for every short-term data bundle they sell. TRAI said the change will help over 20 crore customers who use phones mainly for calls and texts, not data. The new rules prevent low-income users from being forced to buy unwanted data just to keep their service active.
Telecom operators had opposed the mandate, warning it could disrupt how they package voice, SMS, and data services together. But TRAI found that few data-free plans existed in the market after earlier rules required them—and those that did had long validity periods, locking out budget-conscious customers.
Rules Require Matching Voice-Only Plans for Every Bundle
Phone companies must now create a voice-and-SMS-only plan for every bundled plan with 30 days or less validity. Business Today reported that prices for these data-free options must drop in proportion to what customers lose—no data means lower cost. Operators also must offer at least one longer-validity voice-and-SMS plan and enable monthly renewal on the same calendar date each month.
Earlier Rules Failed to Deliver Data-Free Options
In 2024, TRAI first required operators to offer at least one voice-and-SMS plan. But Morung Express noted that few entered the market, and most had long validity periods of 84 or 365 days. This forced budget users to pay large upfront amounts. Rural customers, elderly users, and feature-phone owners struggled most. The new rules address this gap by mandating short-term options.
Telecom Companies Warned of Tariff Structure Damage
Industry groups like the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) argued during consultation that fragmenting plans risks lowering average revenue per user and disrupting billing systems. Telecom operators including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea maintain that data bundling helps them cross-subsidize network costs. However, Communications Today reported that TRAI received 1,132 public submissions supporting the data-free option requirement.
Market Impact and Consumer Reach Expectations
The rules are expected to benefit over 20 crore (200 million) customers who primarily use voice and SMS. One India reported that the changes prevent users from paying extra for data they don't want or use. On September 22, equity markets reacted mixed: Vodafone Idea shares rose 2.10% while Bharti Airtel dropped 0.73%, as analysts weighed retention gains against margin compression for voice-only subscribers.
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