The latest TRAI mandate directs telecom operators to now also offer mobile tariff plans that focus only on SMS and voice calls.
In Short
- TRAI has announced new regulations to make telecom services more affordable
- Telecom operators must now offer tariff plans that focus only on SMS and voice calls
- TRAI’s new rules aim to make telecom plans more tailored to user needs
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced new regulations to make telecom services more affordable and consumer-friendly. The Telecom Consumers Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024, issued on Monday, include several key changes to benefit users, especially those who rely heavily on basic calling and SMS or use secondary SIM cards for specific purposes like calls and SMS.
One of the biggest changes is that telecom operators must now offer tariff plans that focus only on SMS and voice calls. This is a big relief for millions of users, particularly the estimated 150 million (15 crores) people in India who still use basic mobile services. Many of these users don’t need data services but are forced to buy expensive plans that bundle data along with calls and SMS. These new SMS-and-call-only plans will allow such users to pay only for the services they actually use. The change is also expected to benefit users who keep a secondary SIM card exclusively for making calls or sending messages. Until now, these users had no choice but to pay for data benefits they didn’t want. TRAI’s new rules aim to fix this imbalance and make telecom plans more tailored to user needs.