TRAI calls for standalone voice and SMS recharge vouchers, introduces new regulation
This move aims to offer consumers the flexibility to pay for only the services they need while providing particular benefits to specific groups, especially the elderly and those in rural areas.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday issued the "Telecom Consumers Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024” and “Telecommunication Tariff (Seventieth Amendment) Order, 2024”.
According to the revised tariff regulations, mobile operators are required to provide a Special Tariff Voucher (STV), solely for voice calls and SMS for users who do not use data.
The regulator stated that this move aims to offer consumers the flexibility to pay for only the services they need while providing particular benefits to specific groups, especially the elderly and those in rural areas.
This revision also sees an extension in the validity of said coupons from 90 days to 365 days.
TRAI added that in view of the prominence of online recharges, the existing colour-coding of vouchers in the physical form has been done away with.
According to the update, telecom operators can issue vouchers of any value as “the reserving of denomination of Rs 10 and multiple thereof only for top-up voucher has been done away with.”
However, it has retained the mandate of at least one top up voucher of denomination of Rs 10 provided by TTO.
In July, TRAI issued a consultation paper to review the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations, 2012 (TCPR). The paper focused on key issues such as tariff choice availability, voucher colour coding, voucher validity, and voucher denominations, aiming to address the interests of both consumers and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
Edited by Jyoti Narayan