New Telecom Consumer Protection Rules
India Introduces Mandatory 30-Day Prepaid Mobile Plans to End 28-Day Billing Cycles
Anonymous
India’s telecom regulator has introduced consumer-protection rules requiring operators to offer prepaid options that include a plan renewable on the same date each month, as well as voice-and-SMS-only plans. The changes are intended to give users—especially budget-conscious customers and those who do not need mobile data—more choice and flexibility. Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha welcomed the rules, saying they address concerns he raised about 28-day packs marketed as monthly plans, which can require 13 recharges a year rather than 12.
Key Points
1
The monthly-renewable voucher must renew on the same calendar date each month; if that date does not occur in a particular month, renewal shifts to that month’s final day.
2
The rules require operators to offer at least one Special Tariff Voucher with a validity period longer than the monthly-renewable option; other STVs must have validity of 30 days or less.
3
The amendment changes the framework for Special Tariff Vouchers, prepaid products operators offer for particular services and validity periods.
4
The voice-and-SMS options are expected to help senior citizens and other people who mainly make calls and have little or no need for internet data.
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