If you rarely or never use the internet on your mobile, TRAI’s new rule may be useful for you. Under the new rule, issued on September 21, 2026, telecom companies, including Jio, Airtel, and Vi, will be required to offer more voice-and-SMS-only recharge options. This means that such plans will not include data. Customers who only need calls and SMS will not have to pay for unnecessary data. This rule will not be implemented immediately; it will come into effect 30 days after publication in the official gazette.
Option without data with 28-day plan
The new rule also makes a significant change regarding validity. If a company offers a calling, SMS, and data pack with 28-day validity, it will also be required to offer a voice-only SMS plan of the same duration. Similarly, data packs with a validity of 30 days or less will also be required to offer a data-free option. Most importantly, after removing data, the prices of Voice-SMS-only plans will need to be reduced accordingly. However, TRAI has not set a fixed price. Companies will be able to set their own prices.
Plans will be renewed on the same date every month.
TRAI’s new rule adds another convenience for customers. Companies will have to offer at least one Voice-SMS-only plan that can be recharged on the same date every month. For example, if you recharge on the 15th, its validity will expire on the 15th again. If the 15th does not fall on the last day of a month, renewal will take place on the last day of that month. However, this does not mean that all 28-day plans will automatically become 30-day plans. Companies will only have to offer at least one such option.
84-day and 365-day plans will also remain.
TRAI’s decision does not mean that long-term recharges will be eliminated. Companies will also be required to offer at least one long-valid Voice-SMS-only plan. This will provide options for customers who use only calls and SMS for 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. According to TRAI, Voice and SMS-only packs will not include mobile data and can have a validity of up to 365 days. Existing data-bundled plans will also continue for data-intensive customers.
More Benefits for Senior Citizens and Feature Phone Users
TRAI explained that previously, the number of such plans was very limited. Companies often offered long Voice-SMS-only plans, such as 80/84 days or 336/365 days, while shorter validity options were limited. This caused problems for senior citizens, rural customers, feature phone users, and those with limited data usage.
Now, these customers will have the opportunity to choose a plan based on their needs. However, it would not be accurate to say that recharges across all companies will become significantly cheaper. TRAI has only stated that the price will be reduced after removing data; it has not set a fixed price.
