The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026, detailing requirements for more affordable Voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) specifically designed for low-income consumers.
On September 22, 2026, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced the release of the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulation, 2026. This new regulation aims to address the observed limitation in the availability of affordable Voice and SMS options for low-income consumers.
Since the implementation of TCPR (Twelfth Amendment), 2024, TRAI had noticed that only a limited number of Voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) with longer validities were being offered by telecom service providers. To address this concern, the draft TCPR (Thirteenth Amendment) consultation was issued on April 7, 2026.
In response to the draft amendment consultation, a total of 1132 responses were received from stakeholders. An Open House Discussion (OHD) on the consultation paper was also held on June 15, 2026.
Based on the feedback and analysis, TRAI has finalized the new regulation which mandates STVs with appropriate reductions in tariff for Voice and SMS services. The new regulations require that:
1. STVs be offered for validities corresponding to each validity period of thirty days and less than thirty days.
2. STVs must be renewable on the same date of every month, or if the date is unavailable in a month, they will be renewed on the last day of that month.
3. At least one STV with validity longer than the above two requirements should also be offered.
4. The tariff framework must be such that it sufficiently addresses consumer requirements.
TRAI believes this new tariff framework will provide low-income consumers with more options, allowing them to recharge according to their requirements and financial capacity.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
