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NEW DELHI: Prepaid mobile subscribers in India will soon have greater choice in recharge plans after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India notified amendments requiring operators to expand voice-and-SMS-only options and introduce more flexible validity periods.
The Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified on September 22, aim to address long-standing concerns of users who do not need mobile data and those frustrated by 28-day “monthly” plans.
The changes apply to major operators including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi). They are designed particularly to benefit low-income users, senior citizens and people who rely primarily on Wi-Fi for internet access and prefer not to pay for unused data.
Key Provisions of the New Framework
Under the amended regulations, telecom service providers must offer voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) corresponding to every validity period of 30 days or less for which they already provide bundled plans that include voice, SMS and data.
These voice-and-SMS-only plans must be priced lower than the comparable bundled packs, reflecting an appropriate reduction in tariff because data is not included.
Operators are also required to provide at least one voice-and-SMS-only plan that renews on the same date every month. If that calendar date does not exist in a particular month (for example, 31st in a 30-day month), the plan will renew on the last day of the month. In addition, at least one longer-validity voice-and-SMS-only voucher must be offered, matching the longer durations available in the operators’ existing data-bundled plans.
Where shorter-duration bundled plans are sold, corresponding pure voice-and-SMS vouchers must also be made available at proportionately lower prices.
Addressing the 28-Day Recharge Cycle
Many prepaid plans currently carry a 28-day validity. This means users seeking continuous service often end up recharging 13 times in a 364-day period instead of the 12 times that would align with calendar months.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who had raised the issue in Parliament earlier this year, highlighted the discrepancy: “There are 12 months in a year, but prepaid users have to recharge 13 times. Why is there a monthly recharge of 28 days? 30-days validity plans should be introduced.”
The new rules do not mandate that every existing 28-day plan must be converted into a 30-day plan. Instead, they expand the availability of voice-and-SMS-only options with shorter validity (including 30 days or less) and introduce a clear monthly-renewal choice.
An illustrative calculation shows that a Rs 299 plan recharged 13 times at 28-day intervals costs Rs 3,887, whereas the same price with true 30-day validity recharged 12 times would cost Rs 3,588 over a comparable period, assuming prices remain unchanged.
Background and Consultation Process
TRAI introduced the changes after observing that operators offered only a limited number of voice-and-SMS-only STVs, most of which focused on longer validity periods. This left many budget-conscious consumers with fewer affordable short-duration choices.
A draft of the Thirteenth Amendment Regulations was released for public consultation on April 7, 2026. The regulator received 1,132 responses from stakeholders and held an Open House Discussion on June 15, 2026, before finalising the rules.
Chadha described the outcome as an example of constructive politics that responded to public concerns. He noted that the expanded voice-only options would particularly help those who mainly use their phones for calls and messages.
What It Means for Consumers
Users who do not require mobile data will gain clearer, lower-priced alternatives instead of being forced into bundled packs. The monthly-renewal option should also simplify tracking of recharge dates. Actual savings will depend on the specific plans and pricing that operators introduce once the regulations take effect (generally 30 days after Gazette publication).
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