The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has ordered telecom operators to offer affordable voice-and-SMS-only tariff vouchers, forcing a change in prepaid plans that commonly bundle mobile data with basic calling services.
TRAI notified the Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on September 22, introducing mandatory voice-and-SMS vouchers across multiple validity periods.
Under the amended rules, operators must offer a voice-and-SMS Special Tariff Voucher (STV) for every 30-day validity period available under their bundled voice, SMS and data STVs. The requirement also covers validity periods shorter than 30 days.
Operators must additionally provide a voice-and-SMS voucher that allows consumers to renew the plan on the same date every month, along with at least one voucher carrying a validity longer than the prescribed periods. The regulation follows TRAI’s earlier finding that only a limited number of voice-and-SMS-only STVs were being offered after its December 2024 amendment, which required every telecom provider to offer at least one such voucher.
TRAI’s April 2026 draft proposed matching voice-and-SMS vouchers to the different validity periods available under bundled plans.
Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea opposed the proposal during the consultation. Jio argued that standalone voice plans were difficult to reconcile with modern 4G and 5G networks, where voice services operate over internet-protocol networks. It also warned that low-cost, short-validity plans could reduce the cost of making fraudulent calls and unsolicited commercial communications.
Industry submissions also raised concerns over the wider impact of mandatory voice-only products. Some operators argued that existing low-value plans already provide limited data that consumers use for services such as UPI and other digital applications.
TRAI has proceeded with the mandate despite the operators’ objections. The amended framework now requires voice-and-SMS-only options to mirror the validity structure of bundled tariff offerings, including shorter, monthly and longer-duration plans.
