New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) The new 30-day recharge rules, aimed at giving prepaid mobile users greater choice in the pre-paid recharge have been welcomed by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who called it a victory for the low-budget mobile phone users.

Hailing the new plans, which offer a validity of 30 days, the noted Parliamentarian said that the changes would offer more flexibility to consumers, including those who primarily use their phones for voice calls and SMS.

He highlighted the government's new Telecom (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations and said that the introduction of 30-day plans would reduce the need for consumers to make 13 monthly recharges in a year to 12.

Chadha posted on X: “Good news for Prepaid Mobile Users in India. The Govt just introduced Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, consumers will now have: 30-day recharge plans, reducing the need for 13 monthly recharges to 12 in a year, Voice and SMS-only plans for those who do not need data and more suitable options for low-budget consumers who primarily need basic voice calls”

“Many of you had shared your concerns with me about limited and inflexible recharge options. I raised this issue in Parliament on 11th March, seeking greater choice and more affordable options for consumers. I am grateful to the Government of India and TRAI for resolving these concerns in the interest of greater consumer choice and convenience,” he added.

Chadha had earlier raised concerns over 28-day “monthly” recharge cycles and called for more consumer-friendly telecom options.

Notably, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, introducing changes to the framework governing Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) for voice and SMS services.

Special Tariff Vouchers are prepaid tariff products offered by telecom service providers for specific services and validity periods. Under the amended framework, telecom operators will be required to offer more voice and SMS-only STVs for consumers who do not require bundled data services.

The new regulations require telecom service providers to offer voice and SMS-only STVs with validity periods corresponding to each validity period of 30 days and less than 30 days that is available for bundled voice, SMS and data STVs.

The changes are intended to provide consumers with greater flexibility in selecting prepaid plans based on their individual usage requirements. In particular, users who primarily require voice calling and SMS services will have additional options without having to subscribe to bundled data services.

Chadha said he had raised concerns over limited and inflexible recharge options in Parliament on March 11 and had sought greater choice and affordability for consumers.

The regulatory changes now provide a wider framework for telecom users to select plans based on their specific requirements, including options focused solely on voice and SMS services.

--IANS

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