Mobile users who mainly rely on calls and SMS could soon have more choices when recharging their numbers. New consumer-protection rules from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) require telecom operators to provide a wider range of voice-and-SMS-only options without bundled mobile data.
More Options Without Data
Under the new rules, operators including Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) must provide Special Tariff Vouchers offering voice calls and SMS without mobile data.
The requirement is aimed particularly at consumers who do not regularly use mobile internet or rely on Wi-Fi for their data needs.
Shorter Validity Plans Required
The new framework requires operators to provide voice-and-SMS-only options corresponding to the validity periods of existing bundled plans, including shorter periods of 30 days or less.
This means users should have alternatives to paying for data they may not need.
Monthly Recharge Option
Another change is the requirement for at least one voice-and-SMS-only voucher that can renew on the same date each month.
If that date is unavailable in a particular month, the renewal would move to the last day of that month.
Longer Validity Will Also Be Available
Operators will also have to provide at least one longer-validity voice-and-SMS-only option corresponding to longer-validity plans that include data.
This gives users who want a longer-term connection another alternative to conventional data bundles.
Will These Plans Be Cheaper?
TRAI has directed operators to offer an appropriate reduction in tariff for voice-and-SMS-only vouchers compared with comparable bundled plans. However, the regulator has not specified one fixed price or discount for every operator.
The final cost will therefore depend on the plans introduced by individual telecom companies.
When Will the Changes Take Effect?
TRAI released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, on September 22. The rules come into force 30 days after their publication in the Official Gazette, with implementation expected around October 2026.
What It Means for Mobile Users
The new framework gives consumers more flexibility in choosing a recharge based on how they actually use their phones. People who mainly need calling and SMS will have more options that do not automatically include mobile data.
For Jio, Airtel and Vi customers, the next major change will be seeing how each operator prices and rolls out these new plans once the rules take effect.
