TRAI mandates separate stv for voice and sms only

[itzmycard]

Trai in latest guidelines has mandated separate stv for voice and sms only. Also stv validity extended from 90days to 365days.

TRAI issues ''Telecom Consumers Protection (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2024'' and Telecommunication Tariff (Seventieth Amendment) Order, 2024 | Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

www.trai.gov.in

i. To mandate a separate STV for Voice & SMS. This would give consumers an option to pay for the
services they require in general and in particular benefit certain segments of consumers especially the
elderly persons, those living in rural areas and feature phone users.
ii. The cap on validity period for STV and CV be increased from existing ninety (90) days to three
hundred and sixty-five (365) days in line with validity of data only vouchers as this would benefit
consumers from the hassles of frequent re-charge.
iii, Colour coding of vouchers as it exists in the physical form be done away with in view of the
prominence of online re-charges.
iv. The reserving of denomination of 10/- and multiple thereof only for top-up voucher be done away
with and TSPs may be allowed to offer all the vouchers in any denomination of their choice while
retaining mandate of at least one Top Up voucher of denomination of €10/- provided by TTO (50"
amendment) order 2012.

 

[dvader]

any idea about the implementation date?

 

[nixflix]

I don’t think there’s even an implementation date or an enforcement mandate. In fact in a typical Govt body fashion they just said “launch voice+sms only plans” without mentioning about any price cap! Yes, they did that! So telcos just did that - barely reduced any cost and removed data!

Now TRAI is saying they will “test” these new plans for “affordability”. So I guess we are looking at a longer timeline or none at all.