Big gift from TRAI: Affordable calling-only plans to be available; Vi shares surge following the news..

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, on Tuesday. Under these regulations, telecom service providers are required to offer more Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) specifically for voice and SMS services. The move aims to address the limited availability of voice- and SMS-only STVs, particularly the lack of short-duration options. TRAI observed that such vouchers were scarce and mostly came with long validity periods, leaving low-income customers with few low-cost, short-duration choices. Following this decision, Bharti Airtel's shares closed 0.87% lower at ₹1,817, while Vodafone Idea's shares rose by nearly 3% to close at ₹14.26.

**Major Relief from TRAI**
TRAI had released a draft of the amendment for consultation on April 7, 2026. It received 1,132 responses from stakeholders and held an open-house discussion on June 15 before finalizing the regulations. Under the amended rules, telecom service providers must offer STVs exclusively for voice and SMS. Appropriate tariff reductions must be applied, particularly for validity periods of 30 days or less—matching the durations offered for STVs that include voice, SMS, and data. Operators are also required to offer a voice- and SMS-only STV that renews on the same date each month; if a specific month lacks that date, the renewal falls on the last day of that month. Additionally, operators must provide at least one voice- and SMS-only STV with a longer validity period—matching the validity of STVs that bundle voice, SMS, and data.

Major relief for low-income customers
TRAI stated that the revised tariff framework will provide low-income customers with more options, enabling them to recharge according to their needs and financial capacity. The Authority believes that such a tariff framework will effectively cater to customer requirements. This revised regulation offers low-income customers greater choice, allowing them to select recharge plans that align with their specific needs and financial means.

The telecom regulator noted that, overall, these changes will improve options for customers who do not wish to use data-inclusive STVs (Special Tariff Vouchers).

These changes are taking place at a time when telecom companies are focusing on boosting earnings and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). For instance, in August, Bharti Airtel raised the starting price of certain unlimited daily-data prepaid plans from ₹299 to ₹349. In the June quarter, the company's mobile ARPU stood at ₹264, up from ₹250 a year earlier.

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