Relief for Feature Phone Users as TRAI Pushes Simpler Plans
What Happened
TRAI has finalized the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, requiring telecom operators to offer more voice-and-SMS-only recharge packs. The regulator said existing voice-only options were largely limited to long-validity plans, leaving low-income and non-data users with few affordable choices.
Key Takeaways
Under the new rules, operators must provide voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) with appropriate tariff reductions for validity periods of 30 days and below, corresponding to bundled voice, SMS, and data plans. TRAI said the move will give consumers, especially elderly users, feature-phone users, and low-income households, greater flexibility and affordability without forcing them to pay for data they do not use.