New Delhi: Rajya Sabha BJP MP Raghav Chadha welcomed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) new Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations, 2026, saying the regulations address key concerns he had raised in Parliament regarding prepaid mobile phone users.
Chadha said that on 11 March 2026, he had highlighted the problems faced by prepaid mobile users in the Parliament, including the issue of 28-day recharge plans.
“There are only 12 months in a year, but because of 28-day recharge plans, consumers have to recharge 13 times in a year. I had also highlighted that many consumers do not consume data and therefore need affordable voice-only options,” he said.
Welcoming the new provisions, Chadha said that 30-day recharge plans will now also be made available, which would allow consumers to make their monthly recharge 12 times a year instead of 13 times. “This means that in a year, you will now have to make a monthly recharge not 13 times, but only 12 times. This is an important step for prepaid mobile consumers. I also welcome the move to bring voice and SMS-only plans”, he said.
Chadha welcomed the provision for prepaid voice-only plans with incoming and outgoing calling facilities, saying that such plans would particularly benefit consumers who do not require mobile data.
“Many consumers do not want data and only want voice-only plans. There are many senior citizens and low-budget consumers who only want incoming and outgoing calling facilities. They should not have to pay for services they do not use.” He said the principle should be simple: consumers should pay only for the services they need.
“Today, Government of India and TRAI has also fulfilled that demand of yours. I am happy to see that the concerns raised on behalf of prepaid mobile users have found a place in the new consumer protection framework,” Chadha said.
