In Brief
- TRAI issued the Telecom Consumers Protection (13th Amendment) Regulations, 2026, to introduce monthly billing alignment and standalone non-data packs.
- Mobile operators must provide plans that renew on the same calendar date each month, reducing annual recharges from 13 to 12.
- Telecom service providers are mandated to offer voice-and-SMS-only vouchers at reduced tariffs for consumers who do not require mobile data.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued the Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, on September 22, 2026, requiring telecom operators to expand their prepaid recharge portfolios. Under the new directives, service providers must offer plan vouchers with a full 30-day validity or a recurring monthly renewal date, moving away from standard 28-day billing cycles. The regulations mandate that operators introduce voice-and-SMS-only special tariff vouchers corresponding to all short-duration bundled data plans, with proportional price reductions for non-data users.
The policy intervention aims to address consumer reliance on bundled data plans, providing lower-cost alternatives for feature-phone users, senior citizens, and low-income demographics across rural and urban markets. TRAI noted that previous frameworks led to a concentration of call-only options limited to long-validity tiers. The new regulations will take formal effect 30 days following publication in the Official Gazette, during which telecom companies must adjust their tariff filing systems and online recharge portals.
