TRAI Telecom Consumers Protection Thirteenth Amendment Regulations 2026: New Voice and SMS-only STV Rules Explained

TRAI has amended the rules pertaining to Voice and SMS Only STV's (Special Tariff Vouchers). Under the Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, the telecom service providers are required to provide Voice and SMS Only STVs in specified shorter, monthly, and longer validity segments with proper tariff reduction in comparison to the plans having data as well.

This rule change is meant primarily for those consumers who need to make calls and send messages via their phones but do not necessarily need mobile internet. TRAI discovered that despite amending the rules in 2024, the operators had launched only a few such plans, with most of them having longer validity periods.

The final regulations are numbered as 6 of 2026 and dated 21st September 2026. TRAI has issued these in public through its press release dated 22nd September 2026. The amendments will take effect 30 days from their publication in the Official Gazette.

Regulation at a Glance

The operative amendment substitutes the fourth proviso under Regulation 4 and sets out three categories of Voice-and-SMS-only STVs that service providers must offer. 

What Is a Special Tariff Voucher or STV?

Under the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, an STV or Special Tariff Voucher is a voucher that changes one or more tariff items under a consumer's tariff plan for a specified period. The original regulations recognise benefits relating to voice, SMS and data, among other tariff elements. 

For the present amendment, the important distinction is between two broad types of offering.

Voice-and-SMS-only STV

This is an STV under which the relevant benefits are restricted to voice calls and SMS rather than also including mobile-data benefits.

Voice, SMS and Data STV

This is a bundled STV containing voice, SMS and mobile data, with or without value-added services.

The 2026 amendment does not eliminate bundled plans. It requires operators to make suitable Voice-and-SMS-only choices available alongside relevant bundled offerings. TRAI expressly states in its explanatory memorandum that standalone Voice-and-SMS options are meant to supplement rather than replace existing bundled offers. 

The Regulatory Framework

The 2026 amendment forms part of the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2012, which govern several aspects of vouchers and consumer-facing telecom tariff information. The Thirteenth Amendment has been issued by TRAI using its powers under the TRAI Act, 1997. 

The immediate background lies in the Telecom Consumers Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024. That amendment required service providers to offer at least one STV exclusively for Voice and SMS with a validity period not exceeding 365 days. 

TRAI later found that the outcome was narrower than it intended. According to the explanatory memorandum, telecom operators introduced one or two Voice-and-SMS-only STVs, but these were mainly available for longer validity periods such as 80/84 days and 336/365 days. TRAI also recorded that no shorter-validity Voice-and-SMS-only STVs had been launched at that stage. 

The Thirteenth Amendment therefore goes beyond simply requiring "at least one" such voucher. It creates a more structured requirement around short validity, monthly renewal, and longer-validity options.

Why Did TRAI Introduce the Thirteenth Amendment in 2026?

The main issue identified by TRAI was not the complete absence of Voice-and-SMS-only recharge plans. The issue was the limited choice of validity periods.

TRAI observed that bundled Voice, SMS, and data STVs were available across several validity options, while consumers looking only for calls and SMS had far fewer choices. The available standalone plans were concentrated mainly in longer validity periods, which usually require a higher payment in one transaction. 

Affordability of shorter recharges.

For a consumer with limited disposable income, paying for a quarterly or near-yearly recharge in one go may be more difficult than purchasing a shorter-duration plan.

TRAI specifically connected this issue with low-income consumers, rural users and feature-phone users who may primarily require calls and SMS. 

Consumers paying for data they may not need

TRAI also recorded concern that a person who did not require data could be pushed towards a bundled Voice-SMS-data STV simply because a standalone plan of the desired validity was unavailable.

Regulator’s stance: Consumers must be allowed to choose a package of telecom services depending on their needs, not just because the data has been made a part of all available packages.

Pricing of earlier standalone plans

The explanatory memorandum also states that when Voice-and-SMS-only STVs were initially introduced after the Twelfth Amendment, TRAI did not consider the initial price reduction reasonable or commensurate with the removal of data. It records that prices were subsequently reduced. 

This pricing experience explains why the final 2026 regulation does not deal only with validity. It also requires an appropriate reduction in tariff.

From Draft to Final Regulation: How TRAI Reached the 2026 Amendment

TRAI did not move directly from the 2024 rule to the final 2026 amendment. A public consultation took place first.

The draft Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations were released on 7 April 2026. The original deadline for comments was 28 April 2026, which was subsequently extended to 5 May 2026. Counter-comments were invited until 12 May 2026. TRAI also held an Open House Discussion on 15 June 2026. 

A total of 1,132 responses were received from stakeholders. These included responses from telecom service providers, associations, consumer groups, and other stakeholders. 

One important point emerged from this process: the final rule is not identical to the draft. TRAI moderated both the validity-matching requirement and the proposed pricing approach after examining stakeholder comments.

What Has Changed Under the TRAI Thirteenth Amendment Regulations, 2026?

The final regulation replaces the earlier fourth proviso under Regulation 4(2)(c)(iii). Every covered service provider must offer Voice-and-SMS-only STVs, with appropriate tariff reduction, across three specified validity situations. 

1. Voice-and-SMS-only STVs for 30 Days and Below

Where a telecom provider offers a Voice-SMS-data STV for a validity period of 30 days or less than 30 days, a corresponding Voice-and-SMS-only STV must be offered for that validity. This is much more specific than the 2024 requirement.

The rule effectively requires operators to examine each bundled STV of up to 30 days and check whether the required standalone Voice-and-SMS counterpart exists. Importantly, this requirement applies whether the bundled STV is provided with or without value-added services. 

2. Same-Date Monthly Renewable STV

Service providers must also offer a Voice-and-SMS-only STV with validity that is renewable on the same date every month. If that calendar date does not exist in a particular month, renewal must fall on the last date of that month.  This should not be confused with a simple 30-day plan. A 30-day validity runs for a fixed number of days. A same-date monthly renewal works by the calendar. The distinction becomes relevant because months contain different numbers of days.

3. At Least One Longer-Validity Voice-and-SMS-only STV

Operators must also offer at least one Voice-and-SMS-only STV with a validity longer than the short/monthly categories described above. That longer validity must correspond to the validity of an STV that the operator already offers for Voice, SMS and data, with or without value-added services.  This is an important limit on the new rule.

TRAI did not ultimately require operators to create a Voice-and-SMS-only counterpart for every single bundled STV validity above 30 days. Its explanatory memorandum says a one-to-one requirement across all bundled validity periods was not considered necessary. 

The Three-Part Voice-and-SMS-only STV Requirement

The structure shows TRAI's attempt to provide meaningful choice without requiring operators to duplicate every bundled tariff offer in the market.

What Does "Appropriate Reduction in Tariff" Mean?

The words "appropriate reduction in tariff" are important because the final regulation does not prescribe a fixed percentage discount or a single national recharge price.

The draft amendment had used a stronger concept of a largely proportional reduction. During the consultation, TRAI examined the difficulty of applying a fixed proportional approach to different kinds of data packs and changed the final wording to "appropriate reduction." 

TRAI identified two broad forms of bundled data STVs:

• plans containing a consolidated quantity of data and 
• plans providing a per-day data allowance. 

For consolidated-data plans, the regulator states that an operator can assess the data component using per-GB data cost while working out the price of the Voice-and-SMS-only STV.

For daily-data plans, TRAI recognised that actual usage is not simply equal to the daily allowance multiplied by the number of days. Consumption varies among users and over time. A straight-line calculation may therefore fail to reflect the commercial and network assumptions used in pricing. 

TRAI consequently gives broad pricing guidance rather than a mandatory mathematical formula. Its memorandum refers, among other factors, to assessed data consumption, average revenue realisation per subscriber per GB and quantity-discounted per-day pricing. Competitive market forces may also affect the final tariff. 

What operators should not assume

"Appropriate reduction" does not mean that every Voice-and-SMS-only plan must carry an identical percentage discount.

It also does not mean that operators can remove an arbitrary amount from the bundled price without considering the excluded data component.

The pricing decision remains with the telecom service provider, but the reduced tariff must satisfy the regulatory requirement that the Voice-and-SMS-only offer reflects an appropriate reduction.

Has TRAI Fixed the Price of Voice-and-SMS-only Recharge Plans?

No. TRAI has not fixed a single retail price for these STVs under the Thirteenth Amendment.

The explanatory memorandum directly addresses this issue. Some stakeholders argued that the proposal amounted to retail price control or component-wise pricing. TRAI's response was that the amendment does not notify prices and does not remove the commercial pricing flexibility available to telecom service providers. 

The telecom tariff regime therefore retains pricing flexibility. What TRAI has regulated here is the availability of appropriate Voice-and-SMS-only choices and the requirement for an appropriate tariff reduction, rather than a fixed rupee amount.

Earlier Position vs TRAI's 2026 Amendment

The biggest change is therefore not simply "more plans." It is the introduction of a defined structure for the validity periods operators must cover.

Who Is Covered by the New TRAI Requirement?

The operative rule applies to service providers covered by the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations. The principal 2012 regulations apply to service providers covered by the specified access and cellular mobile framework, subject to later legal and licensing developments. 

In practical terms, the immediate compliance burden falls on telecom providers offering the relevant STVs. Consumers are beneficiaries of the regulatory change, but they do not have a compliance obligation under the amendment.

Who Will Be Affected?

• Telecom Service Providers

Operators will need to review their STV catalogue against the three new validity requirements. That review is likely to involve tariff, regulatory, product, billing, IT and consumer-facing teams.

• Low-Income Consumers

The amendment has been explicitly linked by TRAI to customers for whom making a higher one-time payment would be tough. Another option in such cases would be to use the Voice-and-SMS services with shorter validity periods.

• Feature-Phone and Limited-Data Users

The explanatory memorandum refers to feature-phone users, rural consumers, elderly persons and consumers who have little or no requirement for mobile data.  These references explain the policy concern behind the amendment. They should not be read as restricting the new STVs only to these consumer groups.

• Regulatory, Product and Tariff Teams

For operators, the issue goes beyond introducing a recharge plan. Existing validity periods must first be mapped, followed by pricing and system implementation.

Stakeholder Impact Matrix

Operational effects in this table are practical business implications the exact internal implementation method is not prescribed by the amendment.

What Telecom Service Providers Need to Review After the Amendment

• Existing STV Inventory

Operators should first identify each current Voice-SMS-data STV and group it according to validity. The central question is whether all relevant bundled plans of 30 days or less have the required Voice-and-SMS-only counterpart.

• Monthly Renewable Option

The tariff portfolio should contain the required same-date monthly renewable option. Its configuration must also deal correctly with a month where the chosen date is unavailable by using the month's last date.

• Longer-Validity Option

At least one suitable longer-validity Voice-and-SMS-only STV must correspond to an existing longer bundled validity.

• Tariff Reduction

Pricing teams should be able to explain how the tariff reduction was determined. TRAI has provided broad guidance but no single mandatory percentage.

• Customer-Facing Availability

The explanatory memorandum records TRAI's concern that existing Voice-and-SMS-only STVs were not prominently displayed at all customer touchpoints such as websites, apps and retail outlets. 

For operators, this makes visibility and consistent communication an important implementation consideration even though the amendment's operative proviso is principally framed around offering the STVs.

Does the TRAI Amendment Remove Data from Existing Recharge Plans?

No. The amendment does not require operators to remove mobile data from existing bundled recharge plans.

TRAI expressly states that Voice-and-SMS-only STVs are intended to supplement, not replace, offerings that already combine Voice, SMS, and data. Consumers who prefer data-inclusive plans remain free to purchase them. 

The regulatory objective is choice: a consumer who wants data can choose a bundled plan, while a consumer who does not need data should have meaningful standalone options.

Are Voice-and-SMS-only STVs Mandatory Under the 2026 Amendment?

Yes, the prescribed Voice-and-SMS-only STV categories are mandatory for covered service providers.

The final provision uses mandatory language requiring the service provider to offer these vouchers.

But this should not be interpreted as saying that every bundled STV, regardless of validity, must have an identical Voice-and-SMS-only counterpart.

The one-to-one correspondence is specifically relevant to STVs of 30 days and below. For longer periods, the regulation requires at least one corresponding longer-validity STV. 

What the TRAI Amendment Does Not Mean

The new regulation should not be read more broadly than its actual wording.

• Mobile-data recharge plans are not being abolished. 
• Consumers are not required to shift to Voice-and-SMS-only plans. 
• TRAI has not prescribed one nationwide rupee price for these STVs. 
• No fixed percentage tariff reduction appears in the final operative provision. 
• Operators do not have to duplicate every longer-validity bundled STV. 
• The regulation does not relax anti-spam or unsolicited commercial communication requirements. 
• The 22 September press-release date should not automatically be treated as the commencement date. 

TRAI also rejected the idea that introducing standalone STVs means loosening controls against misuse of telecom resources. Its memorandum says existing anti-UCC and technological safeguards continue to apply. 

Business Impact of the TRAI Thirteenth Amendment on Telecom Operators

The amendment may look narrow because it changes only one proviso, but implementation cuts across several operational functions.

Tariff Portfolio Restructuring

Operators that currently offer many short-duration data-inclusive STVs may have to create corresponding Voice-and-SMS-only options for each relevant validity of 30 days and below. That creates a larger product catalogue than the earlier "at least one" requirement.

Pricing Review

The tariff team must determine a defensible reduction for the excluded data component. The final wording leaves operators’ room to take account of their commercial strategy, demand, usage, and market conditions. However, the reduction still needs to satisfy the regulatory standard of being appropriate.

Billing and IT Configuration

New validity structures or tariffs may require changes across recharge engines, billing systems, apps, websites, dealer platforms, and customer-support systems. This is a practical implementation issue rather than a separately stated statutory process.

Consumer Communication

Consumers should be able to identify:

• what the STV includes, 
• how long it remains valid, 
• whether it is monthly renewable, 
• and what tariff applies. 

The wider Telecom Consumers Protection framework already places importance on clarity around STV tariffs, validity, and benefits. 

Potential Benefits of the New Voice-and-SMS-only STV Framework

For consumers who do not regularly use mobile data, the revised framework may provide a more useful range of options.

Potential benefits include shorter-duration standalone recharges, reduced need to purchase unwanted data, lower one-time payment requirements in relevant cases, more choice between bundled and non-data plans, and a calendar-based monthly option.

TRAI's stated policy concern is especially focused on low-income, feature-phone and limited-data consumers. The regulator considers shorter validity options capable of allowing people to recharge according to their financial capacity and service requirements. 

The rule does not guarantee that every Voice-and-SMS-only recharge will always be cheaper on a per-day basis than every bundled product. Final pricing remains commercially determined within the amended framework.

Implementation Challenges for Telecom Service Providers

The main challenge is likely to be the combination of choice, pricing and tariff simplicity.

TRAI itself recognised that requiring one-to-one matching across every bundled validity could result in too many tariff options and greater complexity. That is one reason the final framework uses a more limited structure: full correspondence for the specified shorter validity category, a monthly option, and at least one longer-validity plan. 

Pricing may be another difficult area because data benefits are not always structured in the same manner. A consolidated-data pack and a daily-data allowance do not necessarily allow the same calculation method.

Operators therefore have flexibility, but that flexibility places more importance on internal pricing rationale and regulatory review.

Consumer Protection vs Operational Burden: How Should the Amendment Be Viewed?

The consultation shows that the proposal generated different views.

Supporters of wider Voice-and-SMS-only availability argued that consumers should not be required to pay for data they do not use and that shorter validity options were especially relevant for consumers with lower spending capacity and feature phones. 

Other stakeholders raised concerns about consumer demand, digital inclusion, tariff complexity, financial viability of operators, potential impact on network investment, and misuse by unsolicited telemarketers. 

TRAI did not simply adopt the original draft unchanged.

The regulator dropped the draft's wider one-to-one matching approach for all validity periods and replaced "largely proportional reduction" with the more flexible standard of "appropriate reduction."

That final structure reflects an attempt to widen consumer choice while retaining operator flexibility over pricing and avoiding unnecessary multiplication of longer-duration tariff products.

Compliance Checklist for Telecom Service Providers

The last few items are sensible internal controls rather than separate forms prescribed by the Thirteenth Amendment.

Compliance Risks Telecom Operators Should Avoid

One of the biggest risks is reading only the press release and overlooking the explanatory memorandum and actual amended proviso.

Operators should also avoid treating a 30-day STV and a same-date monthly renewable STV as the same concept, assuming that one long-duration Voice/SMS-only voucher satisfies the entire amendment, applying an unsupported fixed percentage for tariff reduction, or assuming that every bundled validity above 30 days needs a matching standalone plan.

Another risk is using the 22 September 2026 announcement as the automatic effective date. The regulation itself says it takes effect 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette. 

What Telecom Service Providers Should Do Next

• Obtain the final regulation and confirm Gazette publication. The operative legal text should control implementation, not only the press release. 
• Map all existing bundled STVs by validity. separate plans of less than 30 days, 30 days, monthly renewable validity, and longer durations. 
• Spot the missing Voice-only and SMS only versions. Note, in particular, the 30 days and below bundles of STVs.
• Confirm the implementation of the monthly renewable product with same-day renewal logic and month-end fallback option.
• Confirm the condition for longer validity requirement. Confirm that there is at least one eligible Voice and SMS only STV matching the bundled validity.
• Examine the pricing methodology. Describe the rationale behind the reduction of the relevant bundle STV.
• Coordinate regulatory and commercial teams. Product, finance, tariff, regulatory, billing, IT, and customer-facing functions may all be involved. 
• Check consumer-facing communication. Tariff, validity, and benefits should be displayed consistently. 
• Keep implementation records. Internal documentation can help demonstrate how the operator interpreted and implemented the amended provision. 
• Monitor future TRAI action. The Authority has said a fixed six-month review is not necessary, but it may review the rules whenever required. 

How Corpseed Can Help Telecom Businesses with Regulatory Compliance

This amendment needs more than just introducing another recharge plan. Telecom operators have to analyze the entire range of tariffs available, know the validity period of these tariffs, check the tariffing strategy, and ensure that internal implementation is aligned with the finalized regulation.

Corpseed can support businesses through telecom regulatory compliance services focused on the actual requirements applicable to their operations.

TRAI Regulatory Applicability Assessment

Corpseed can assist in reviewing whether and how a TRAI notification, regulation, or tariff-related amendment applies to the business and its current service offerings.

Telecom Regulatory Compliance Consulting

The regulatory team can support interpretation of the operative provisions, explanatory memorandum, and connected compliance requirements.

Compliance Gap Assessment

Existing STVs can be mapped against the new validity requirements to identify areas that may require a tariff, product, or system review.

Tariff and Compliance Documentation Review

Corpseed can assist with reviewing internal regulatory documentation, tariff records, and relevant customer-facing information from a compliance perspective.

Implementation Readiness Support

Businesses can receive support in organising the regulatory actions that product, billing, tariff and compliance teams may need to coordinate before the applicable commencement date.

Regulatory Update Monitoring

TRAI regulations can continue to develop through amendments, directions and clarifications. Ongoing monitoring helps businesses identify changes that may require further action.

Ongoing Compliance Support

Corpseed's telecom regulatory compliance services can also support businesses that need continuing regulatory review rather than one-time interpretation of a particular notification.

Professional support does not replace the operator's commercial decision-making or guarantee a regulatory outcome. Still, it can help reduce the risk of overlooking an operative requirement or implementing it inconsistently.

Key Takeaways

• TRAI has issued the Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (6 of 2026). 
• The amendment is aimed at expanding meaningful Voice-and-SMS-only STV choices. 
• Corresponding Voice/SMS-only STVs are required for bundled STV validity periods of 30 days and less than 30 days. 
• A same-date monthly renewable Voice-and-SMS-only STV is also required. 
• Operators must maintain at least one longer-validity corresponding Voice-and-SMS-only STV. 
• The final regulation requires an appropriate tariff reduction, but TRAI has not fixed a universal percentage or retail price. 
• Voice/SMS-only plans supplement rather than replace bundled Voice-SMS-data plans. 
• The regulations take effect 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette, so the Gazette publication date should be confirmed before fixing the commencement date. 
• Telecom service providers should review validity mapping, pricing, systems, and consumer-facing tariff information as part of implementation.