NEW DELHI, Dec 23: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has revised tariff regulations, requiring mobile service providers to provide separate plans for voice calls and SMS for customers who do not use data services.
The authority has lifted the 90-day limit on special recharge coupons, extending it to a maximum of 365 days.
According to the Telecom Consumers Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024, “…the service provider shall offer at least one Special Tariff Voucher exclusively for Voice and SMS with a validity period not exceeding three hundred and sixty-five days,” stated the regulator.
This change is aimed at allowing consumers to pay specifically for the services they regularly use.
Throughout the consultation phase, Trai recognized diverse perspectives, noting that many senior citizens and households with broadband may not require data-inclusive recharge plans for their mobile phones.
In an explanatory statement, Trai emphasized that a distinct STV for voice and SMS, alongside the current data-only STVs and bundled offerings, is necessary.
“Mandating Voice and SMS only STVs provides an option for subscribers who do not need data, without undermining the government’s initiative for data inclusion since providers may still offer bundled packages and data-only vouchers,” the statement added.
The regulator has also permitted telecom companies to offer recharge vouchers of any denomination, while ensuring at least one recharge coupon is available for a minimum of Rs 10. Previously, operators could only provide top-up vouchers in Rs 10 increments.
“The Authority believes that the restriction on denominations of Rs 210 and its multiples solely for top-up vouchers should be removed, allowing Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to offer vouchers in any denomination of their choice while maintaining the requirement for at least one top-up voucher of Rs 10,” the statement noted. (PTI)
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