GUWAHATI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced new rules aimed at giving prepaid mobile users more flexibility in choosing recharge plans based on their usage and budget.
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Under the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, telecom operators will have to offer more options for prepaid users, including 30-day validity plans and voice and SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs).
The move could benefit users who do not require mobile data and prefer to pay only for calling and SMS services. Operators will be required to provide voice and SMS-only vouchers with validity periods corresponding to those available for bundled voice, SMS and data plans.
One of the key changes is the provision for 30-day recharge validity. At present, many monthly prepaid plans follow a 28-day validity cycle, which can result in users making 13 recharges over a year. A 30-day option, where offered, could allow users to align their recharge cycle more closely with the calendar month and make 12 recharges over a year.
The new framework also provides consumers with greater choice in selecting plans according to their actual requirements, particularly for users who mainly use their phones for calls and SMS rather than mobile internet.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha welcomed the changes and said that he had raised the issue in Parliament during his time in the AAP. He also credited the regulatory move as a step towards giving consumers more flexibility in choosing telecom plans.
The changes are expected to give prepaid users more options across different validity periods and usage requirements, while allowing consumers to select plans that better match their calling, messaging and data needs.
