You May Soon Pay Less For Mobile Recharge, Here Is Why

In a moment of relief for mobile users who do not want to spend on unnecessary data packs, the government has proposed a solution, stressing the popularisation of voice and SMS-only plans. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has published a draft that telecom giants must offer voice and SMS-only packs in all validity periods. If the telecom companies are offering a data pack with 28, 56, and 84 days, including the data, then they must offer a plan for users who do not need data for the same number of days. TRAI Proposes Fair Pricing For Non-Data UsersThe draft mentions pricing as another critical aspect. According to the government body, the previously offered voice-only plans were eventually cheaper than the combined bundled packs.

The regulatory body highlighted that companies need to be fair in reducing prices by removing the cost of data. This will help the users by not paying for services that they do not want to use. This proposal mainly helps people who do not want to access mobile data. These users could be rural users, senior citizens, and people who do not own a smartphone. Most of these users want to stay hooked to their direct recharge plans and eventually end up paying more because of the combined data packages. It is noteworthy that the draft is currently under review and could be subject to feedback.

PIB India tweeted on Tuesday, "TRAI had earlier issued Telecom Consumer Protection (twelfth Amendment) Regulation, 2024 wherein the Authority mandated that every telecom service provider shall offer at least one Special Tariff Voucher exclusively for Voice and SMS. Subsequent to this, it is observed that only a few Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) are being offered for Voice and SMS."

Cheapest Plans Offered By Vi, Jio And AirtelCurrently, VI offers the cheapest plan worth Rs 99 that comes with talktime of Rs 99 and 200MB data for 15 days. For unlimited calling, the most affordable plan lasts for 28 days with 2GB of total data and 300 SMS. Similarly, in some selected areas, Airtel offers a Rs 155-day plan with 24-day validity and 1GB data. For unlimited calling, it offers a 28-day plan at Rs 199 with 2GB data and 300 SMS. The unlimited Jio calling plan with 14-day validity comes with 2GB data per day at Rs 198.