TRAI Mandates Voice and SMS Only Telecom Plans

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India finalized the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026, to expand the availability of Voice and SMS only Special Tariff Vouchers. Published on September 21, 2026, the rules require telecom service providers to offer standalone voice and SMS options for every validity period of 30 days or less that is currently available for bundled data plans.

Under the new framework, operators must provide at least one monthly renewable voucher and one longer-validity option. This regulatory shift follows the agency's observation that non-data plans with shorter durations became limited after the 2024 Twelfth Amendment.

The regulator stated that the new framework would allow low income consumers to recharge based on their requirements and financial capacity. The final regulations were established after a consultation process involving an open house discussion in June and 1,132 stakeholder responses.