This TRAI Rule Is Likely To Lower Your Mobile Phone Bill:  Check Details

India is making its presence felt on the internet as its internet user base grew to 971.5 million in September 2024 from 969.6 million at the end of June 2024. Additionally, data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) revealed that as many as 95.41 per cent of internet subscribers accessed the internet via a mobile data connection.

While the number of internet users has grown, the cost of mobile data packs has also increased after the price hike announced by telecom operators in July 2024. However, a new rule introduced by the TRAI in December is likely to lower mobile phone bills for some users.

Earlier in December, the TRAI amended the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2024 and the Telecommunication Tariff  Order. As a part of the amendments telecom service providers have been mandated to separate Special Tariff Vouchers for Voice & SMS services. The amendment is aimed at giving consumers an option to pay only for the services they require.

TRAI said that during its consultation process, it came across several instances of senior citizens and families which have broadband connections at homes and may not need recharge plans bundled with data for their mobile phones.

How You Can Benefit From The Amendment?

The dual SIM feature is fairly common in smartphones nowadays. Prior to the amendment mobile data users would need to mandatorily buy combo packs which offered mobile data and voice and SMS services for both their SIMs. After the amendment, users of dual SIM phones can opt to pay for Voice & SMS services for one SIM connection and mobile data for another if they wish to reduce their overall mobile phone bill.

Other amendments introduced by the TRAI include an extended validity period for Special Tariff Voucher (STV) and Combo Vouchers (CV). The validity period for both vouchers has been increased from the existing ninety (90) days to three hundred and sixty-five (365) days.

"...The service provider shall offer at least one Special Tariff Voucher exclusively for Voice and SMS with validity period not exceeding three hundred and sixty-five days," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in the Telecom Consumers Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024.