Prepaid mobile users in India will have more options when choosing recharge plans under new consumer protection rules issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The changes include greater availability of voice-and-SMS-only recharge vouchers, including options valid for 30 days or less. The new framework also provides for a voucher that can renew on the same date every month.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha welcomed the changes on Sunday, September 27, saying they address concerns he had raised in Parliament earlier this year about short validity periods and the limited availability of plans for customers who do not need mobile data.
What Has Changed For Mobile Users?
The new rules were notified by TRAI on September 22 under the Telecom Consumers Protection (13th Amendment) Regulations, 2026. The regulator has directed telecom service providers to expand the availability of Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) that offer voice and SMS services without bundled data.
These vouchers will include options with a validity of 30 days or less. The framework also provides for a voice-and-SMS-only voucher that can be renewed on the same date every month.
In simple terms, customers who do not require internet data will have more flexibility to choose a plan based mainly on calling and SMS requirements.
The rules also require operators to appropriately reduce the tariff for such voice-and-SMS-only vouchers.
Why 30-Day Recharge Plans Matter
One of the issues highlighted by Chadha was the widespread use of 28-day validity periods for prepaid monthly plans.
He had raised the issue in Parliament on March 11, arguing that a 28-day validity period could effectively require a customer to recharge 13 times in a year, even though a calendar year has 12 months.
“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,” Chadha had said in Parliament.
The new framework now provides for voice-and-SMS-only vouchers with validity periods of 30 days or less, along with an option that can renew on the same date each month.
What Are Voice-And-SMS-Only Plans?
Voice-and-SMS-only plans are meant for customers who do not need mobile internet but still want to make calls and send or receive SMS messages.
This can be useful for people who mainly use their phones for calling, including some senior citizens, feature-phone users and customers looking for lower-cost basic telecom services.
Chadha welcomed the provision and said such consumers should not have to pay for data services they do not use.
“Many consumers who do not want data but want voice-only plans, prepaid voice-only plans for incoming and outgoing facilities will be made available,” he said.
The new rules are therefore aimed at giving consumers more choice rather than requiring every user to purchase a data-inclusive recharge.
More Options For Shorter Validity Periods
The revised framework also covers voice-and-SMS-only vouchers corresponding to shorter validity periods when bundled plans are offered for such durations.
TRAI said the changes were intended to give consumers, particularly those with lower incomes, more flexibility to select services according to their needs and financial capacity. The regulator’s consultation process received 1,132 responses from stakeholders before the final regulations were issued.
This means consumers will have more choices instead of being limited to longer-duration voice-only options.
Chadha Calls It ‘Constructive Politics’
Chadha said the new rules were connected to the concerns he had raised in Parliament earlier this year.
He described the development as an example of what he called “constructive politics”, where an issue raised by an elected representative leads to action after receiving public attention.
“I think this is a perfect example of constructive politics,” Chadha said, adding that he hoped similar efforts would continue to address issues affecting ordinary people.
The new TRAI framework does not mean all existing mobile recharge plans will automatically shift from 28 days to 30 days. Instead, it expands the range of voice-and-SMS-only options that telecom companies must make available, including 30-day-or-less validity choices and a monthly same-date renewal option.
