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Informist, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026

NEW DELHI – The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Tuesday released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026, which mandates shorter validity options and an appropriate reduction in tariff for voice-and-SMS-only special tariff vouchers. This is aimed at expanding the availability of lower-duration voice-and-SMS-only recharge plans, particularly for customers who do not require bundled data services. 

The amendment mandates telecommunication service providers to offer voice-and-SMS-only special tariff vouchers with corresponding validity periods of 30 days or less, where similar validity periods are available for special tariff vouchers for voice, SMS, and data. Telecom operators will also have to offer a special tariff voucher whose validity can be renewed on the same date every month. If that date does not exist in a particular month, the renewal date should be the last day of that month. Lastly, operators must provide at least one voice-and-SMS-only special tariff voucher with a validity longer than these shorter-duration and monthly-renewal options, corresponding to the validity period of special tariff vouchers being offered for voice, SMS, and data.

"This amended regulation will provide low-income consumers with more options, allowing them to recharge according to their requirements and financial capacity. Overall, it will improve choices for consumers preferring not to use STVs (special tariff vouchers) bundled with data," the regulatory body said in a press release.

TRAI had released the draft Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations (TCPR), 2026 for consultation in April. A total of 1,132 responses were received on the same, and an open house discussion was held in June, as per the release. According to the regulatory body, since the implementation of the twelfth amendment of the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations in 2024, the limitation in the availability of voice-and-SMS-only special tariff vouchers was observed, triggering the thirteenth amendment consultation paper. "...the Authority observed the limitation in the availability of Voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) being offered by telecom service providers, where only a limited number of such STVs, concentrated on longer validities, were being offered, making low-income consumers deprived of affordable shorter duration choices," it said.  End

Reported by Shakshi Jain

Edited by Himanshi Gupta

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