Jio, Airtel, Vi Reportedly Raise Concerns Over TRAI's Proposal for Voice-Only Plans

Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have opposed a proposal by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to expand the availability of cheaper standalone voice and SMS plans, according to a recent report. The regulator wants operators to offer voice-and-SMS-only packs across multiple validity periods at lower prices than bundled plans that include data. Telecom companies argue that the proposal is technically impractical and inconsistent with existing tariff principles, while consumer groups say many subscribers continue paying for services they do not use.

TRAI's Affordable Voice-Only Plan Proposal Faces Telco Opposition

According to an Economic Times report, telecom operators raised their objections during a TRAI open-house consultation held on June 15 to discuss the Draft Telecom Consumer Protection Thirteenth Amendment Regulation, 2026, which seeks to expand the availability of standalone voice-and-SMS recharge options.

Under the proposal, telecom operators would be required to offer such plans across all validity periods currently available under bundled packs that combine calling, messaging, and data benefits. The report added that TRAI also wants these plans to be priced lower than comparable bundled offerings and displayed more prominently across customer touchpoints.

Telecom companies opposed the proposal and urged the regulator not to intervene in tariff design. The operators reportedly argued that plan structures and pricing should remain market-driven and warned that additional regulatory requirements could affect existing business models and investment returns.

Reliance Jio is said to have questioned the practicality of separating voice services from data offerings in today's mobile networks. According to the report, the operator argued that modern 4G and 5G systems rely on a common Internet Protocol architecture and that voice communication is delivered using the same underlying network framework.

The company also reportedly raised concerns that lower-cost voice-and-SMS packs with shorter validity could be exploited for spam campaigns and fraudulent activity. The report further said Jio claimed that 88 percent of its entry-level subscribers use mobile data and maintained that interest in standalone voice plans remains limited.

Vodafone Idea also opposed the proposal and said smartphone users continue to generate small amounts of data traffic through background processes, software downloads, and authentication services, which could result in additional charges if no data allowance is included with the plan, according to the report.

The report said Bharti Airtel argued that internet access has become central to the delivery of many digital services in India and that the wider adoption of voice-only plans could undermine efforts to increase participation in the country's digital ecosystem.

The Consumer Protection Association in Himmatnagar, Gujarat, estimated that India has between 300 million and 350 million feature phone users, including around 100 million to 150 million subscribers who do not use mobile data services, as per the report. The organisation argued that many of these users are effectively paying for benefits they neither need nor consume.

The report further added that consumer advocates estimated that this segment spends between Rs. 15,000 crore and Rs. 20,000 crore annually on unused data benefits. They also pointed to network limitations in tribal, remote, and hilly regions where mobile internet access remains inconsistent despite subscribers purchasing data-inclusive plans.

According to the report, consumer groups further argued that users on entry-level recharge packs often face a higher effective cost of data than customers on premium plans, with rates of around Rs. 94 to Rs. 99 per GB.

The report added that TRAI will review submissions from telecom operators, consumer groups, and other stakeholders before deciding whether to proceed with the proposed amendment.