Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 28: Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has welcomed the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, saying the new provisions will provide prepaid mobile users with greater flexibility in choosing recharge plans.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the amended regulations on September 22. The changes include provisions for voice and SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) corresponding to the validity periods offered for bundled voice, SMS and data plans.
Chadha said the introduction of 30-day recharge options would mean consumers would need 12 such recharges in a year instead of 13 under 28-day monthly cycles. He also highlighted the availability of voice and SMS-only plans for users who do not require mobile data.
“Good news for Prepaid Mobile Users in India. The Govt just introduced Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026,” Chadha said in a post on X.
He said the new provisions would provide 30-day recharge plans, voice and SMS-only plans and more options for consumers who primarily use their phones for basic calling and messaging.
Chadha said he had received concerns from consumers over limited and inflexible recharge options and had raised the issue in Parliament on March 11, seeking greater choice and affordability.
He had earlier questioned the practice of treating 28-day recharge cycles as monthly plans and sought more consumer-friendly telecom options.
Under the amended framework, telecom service providers are required to offer voice and SMS-only STVs corresponding to each validity period of 30 days and less than 30 days that they offer for bundled voice, SMS and data STVs. The voice and SMS-only vouchers are also required to have a largely proportional reduction in tariff compared with corresponding bundled vouchers.
TRAI had proposed the changes earlier this year after receiving representations seeking shorter-duration voice and SMS-only packs. The regulator said the amendment was aimed at ensuring that consumers have corresponding voice and SMS-only options across the validity periods offered by operators.
The amended regulations are intended to give prepaid users greater choice based on their individual requirements, particularly those who primarily need voice calls and SMS and do not want bundled data services.
Chadha thanked the Centre and TRAI for addressing the concerns he had raised and said the changes would improve consumer choice and convenience.