TRAI Extends Comment Deadline to May 5 on Proposal for Lower-Priced Voice-Only Plans

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has provided additional time for stakeholders to respond to its proposed changes aimed at reshaping mobile tariff offerings. 

Deadline Extension and Timeline 

The regulator has extended the deadline for submitting comments on its draft regulation to May 5, 2026, from the earlier cut-off of April 28.  

The extension follows requests from industry participants and their associations seeking more time to respond. 

TRAI has also set May 12, 2026, as the final date for submitting counter-comments on the proposal. 

Proposal for Voice and SMS-Only Plans 

At the centre of the draft Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 is a requirement for telecom operators to introduce tariff plans that exclude data services.  

These plans would offer only calling and SMS benefits and are expected to be priced lower than existing bundled plans that include data. 

The proposal aims to ensure that consumers who do not require mobile data have access to more affordable alternatives. 

Pricing Concerns and Regulatory Rationale 

The regulator observed that when operators introduced voice and SMS-only packs earlier, pricing did not adequately reflect the removal of data benefits.  

TRAI noted that such plans were initially priced relatively high and were not reduced proportionately compared to data-inclusive offerings. 

Highlighting that previous measures did not deliver the intended outcome, the regulator has put forward this revised proposal to address pricing gaps and improve consumer protection. 

Read More: TRAI Seeks Industry Views on Scaling Public Wi-Fi Access Across India! 

Conclusion 

With the revised timelines in place, TRAI’s proposal seeks to create clearer pricing differentiation in mobile plans, focusing on affordability and more tailored offerings for different user needs. 

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