1 day ago
TRAI Orders Telcos to Display Budget and Voice Packs Clearly
India’s telecom regulator wants phone companies to make cheap calling plans easier to find.
Some people only need voice calls and text messages, not daily internet data.
These customers include feature-phone users, senior citizens and low-income households.
The regulator said mobile apps and websites sometimes hid these plans behind several screens.
It also said customers were often pushed toward more expensive data packages.
Companies must put the required plans in a clearly marked section called “TRAI-Mandated Packs.”
This section must appear first in the prepaid recharge area.
Telecom companies have 30 days to show that they followed the order.
TRAI ordered telecom providers to make mandated vouchers clearly visible and easy to access.
The order targets standalone Voice and SMS packs and fixed 30-day validity vouchers.
The regulator said consumers struggled to find budget plans on websites and mobile apps.
The mandate affects Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, BSNL and other providers.
Operators must create a first-tab section called “TRAI-Mandated Packs” and submit compliance reports within 30 days, by October 30.
- Who
- The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and mobile operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and BSNL.
- What
- TRAI directed operators to prominently display mandated Voice, SMS and 30-day validity vouchers.
- Where
- On telecom providers’ websites, mobile applications and other exclusive points of sale.
- When
- Operators must submit compliance reports within 30 days of the direction; the article identifies October 30 as the deadline.
- Why
- To improve transparency, access and informed consumer choice, especially for subscribers who need basic calling and SMS services.
Key facts
- Affected subscribers
- More than 200 million mobile subscribers across India, according to the article.
- Required section
- A clearly visible section titled “TRAI-Mandated Packs.”
- Section placement
- The section must be the first tab in the prepaid recharge area.
- Covered vouchers
- Flat 30-day validity vouchers, date-to-date same-month renewal packs, and standalone Voice and SMS-only Special Tariff Vouchers.
- Compliance deadline
- Operators must submit compliance reports within 30 days, identified in the article as October 30.
- Regulations cited
- The Telecommunication Tariff Order, 1999, and Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2012.
Quotes
TRAI
India’s telecom regulator
“The purpose of mandating specific vouchers by the Authority is to provide to the consumers appropriate tariff choices to make informed decisions and, therefore, it is important that such vouchers are not only available on the websites and mobile application of the telecom service providers but are also displayed clearly and prominently and are easily accessible.”
businesstoday.in
“Provide a separate and clearly visible tab or section titled ‘TRAI-Mandated Packs’ containing different types of TRAI-mandated vouchers, which shall be visible as the first tab on the prepaid recharge section on the websites and mobile applications of the service providers and shall also be prominently displayed on their other exclusive points of sale.”
businesstoday.in
Sources
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