TRAI notifies Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, mandating short-validity voice-and-SMS vouchers
On 22 September 2026, TRAI released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, requiring telecom operators to offer voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers with shorter validities.
Summary
TRAI found that, after the Twelfth Amendment of 2024, operators offered only a few voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs), mostly with long validities, leaving low-income users without affordable short-duration options. The Thirteenth Amendment mandates such STVs, at suitably reduced tariffs, for each validity of 30 days or less that is offered for voice, SMS and data plans. The amendment also requires a voucher renewable on the same date every month, or the last date of a month when that date does not exist. TRAI had released the draft on 7 April 2026 and received 1,132 responses.
Key facts
- Regulation
- Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026
- Core mandate
- Voice-and-SMS-only STVs at reduced tariff for each validity of 30 days or less offered for data plans
- Monthly renewal
- STV renewable on the same date every month (last date if that date is absent)
- Reason
- Limited, long-validity voice/SMS STVs after the Twelfth Amendment (2024) hurt low-income users
- Consultation
- Draft on 7 Apr 2026; 1,132 responses; open house on 15 Jun 2026
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The TRAI Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 mainly mandate which of the following?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — Voice-and-SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers with validities of 30 days or less
The amendment mandates voice-and-SMS-only STVs, at reduced tariffs, for each validity of 30 days or less offered for data plans.
Consider the following about TRAI's Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026: 1. They require a voucher renewable on the same date every month. 2. They were finalised without any public consultation. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the draft was released for consultation on 7 April 2026, drew 1,132 responses and had an open house discussion on 15 June 2026.