Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 24: TRAI will require telecom companies to offer more voice-and-SMS-only plans. Shorter validity options must match existing data bundles. Operators, however, keep flexibility over how far prices fall.
Indian mobile users who rarely touch data may soon face fewer forced bundles. That is set to change under TRAI’s amended consumer protection rules. Telecom companies must offer voice-and-SMS-only plans for validity periods of 30 days or less. Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea are among the operators affected. The amendment was notified on September 21, 2026. It takes effect 30 days after gazette publication, around October 21.
More Recharge Choice Without Mobile Data
If a voice-SMS-data plan exists for a given validity, a non-data counterpart must follow. Operators need not invent validity periods they do not already sell. Monthly plans must renew on the same calendar date each month. Where that date is missing, renewal shifts to the month’s last day. Operators must also offer at least one longer voice-and-SMS-only plan. Its validity must match a longer data-bundled plan already on sale.
TRAI Leaves Telecom Tariffs With Operators
Pricing is where TRAI has held back. Its April draft sought price cuts broadly proportional to the data removed. The final rules drop that formula. Operators must instead make “appropriate” price reductions. TRAI said data plans are structured too differently for a fixed formula. It has suggested revenue per GB of data as a pricing reference.
Data Gets Cheaper While ARPU Rises
Between March 2025 and March 2026, revenue per GB fell from ₹9.11 to ₹7.51. Monthly ARPU rose from ₹183 to ₹196.04 over the same period. Users are simply consuming more data. Between the latest two quarters, average monthly usage rose from 25.70 GB to 26.70 GB. Total wireless data usage grew 6.31% quarter-on-quarter. Revenue per GB and ARPU have moved in opposite directions.
Earlier Voice-Only Rules Left Gaps
TRAI first acted on this issue in December 2024. It required at least one voice-and-SMS Special Tariff Voucher, or STV. Validity could run up to 365 days. The aim was to serve elderly, rural and feature phone users. TRAI later found the rule’s spirit was not fully followed. Most operators launched only one or two such plans. Validities typically ran 80-84 days or 336-365 days. Shorter options were missing, and early price cuts were modest, TRAI said.
Consumers and Telecom Companies Split Over Pricing
TRAI’s April 7 draft drew 1,132 responses. An Open House Discussion followed on June 15, 2026. Consumer groups said non-data choices were too narrow. Many users, they argued, paid for data they never needed. Others questioned demand, citing digital inclusion, telemedicine and banking needs. Some warned cheap short plans could help spam callers. Operators said a fixed discount would amount to indirect price control.
What Changes for India’s Telecom Market
The amendment widens choice without dictating recharge prices. Data-bundled plans remain available alongside the new options. How much cheaper voice-only plans become will depend on operators. TRAI said it sees no need for a six-month review. It can still revisit the rules whenever it considers necessary.
