The telecommunications regulatory body of India, known as TRAI, has made a significant decision for mobile users. TRAI released the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations (Thirteenth Amendment), 2026.
Under this new regulation, all telecom companies are now obligated to offer tariff plans that include exclusively calling and SMS functions, while excluding data access.
TRAI noted that such plans were previously very rare, especially among short-term tariffs. This is why the decision was made.
The new rule requires companies to provide voice and SMS plans for customers who need top-ups for 30 days or less. Furthermore, companies must offer an option allowing customers to renew their plan on a set monthly date, which will save subscribers from having to constantly arrange top-ups on different days.
Moreover, every company must offer at least one Voice-SMS only plan, even for customers who wish to have a longer validity period. TRAI also stipulated that the prices for these plans must be substantially reduced so that they are cheaper than data plans.
The greatest benefit from this decision will go to users who either do not use mobile internet at all or use it very rarely. This news is a relief, especially for the elderly and low-income customers, as they will no longer have to take expensive data plans unnecessarily. They can now choose a suitable tariff according to their needs and budget.
TRAI reported that the final decision was based on 1132 responses received from the public regarding the draft of this regulation.
