Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026
Why in News?
The Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 is in news because , on April 28, 2026 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) extended the deadline for stakeholder comments on this draft to May 5, 2026.
Mandatory Standalone Vouchers
- For every Special Tariff Voucher (STV) that includes Voice, SMS, and Data, operators must offer a corresponding pack exclusively for Voice and SMS.
- This applies to all validity periods (28 days, 56 days, 84 days, 365 days).
Proportionate Pricing
- These Voice and SMS-only packs must be priced with a largely proportional reduction in tariff.
- The price must clearly reflect the removal of data benefits, preventing telcos from charging high fees for basic services.
Parity in Validity
- The standalone packs must have the exact same validity period as their bundled counterparts.
- This prevents operators from restricting basic plans to only expensive, long-term validities like 365 days.
Target Beneficiaries
- Feature Phone Users: Approximately 15 crore Indians who don’t use mobile data.
- Elderly Citizens: Users who primarily require simple calling and texting.
- Low-Income Groups: Consumers who need affordable, short-duration recharges to stay connected for basic services like OTPs and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) alerts.
Transparency and Disclosure
- Operators must ensure clear and prominent disclosure of these plans across all touchpoints, including websites, retail outlets, and mobile apps.
Background & Objective
- Previous Rules: The Twelfth Amendment (2024) mandated at least one voice-only STV, but telcos complied minimally, often offering only one long-term, expensive option.
- Regulatory Objective: To ensure fair, non-discriminatory choice and protect consumers from "forced procurement" of unwanted services.
- Regulatory Authority: The regulations are issued by TRAI, established in 1997, which functions under the Ministry of Communications.
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