The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is tightening regulations on mobile tariffs to enhance consumer choice for voice-and-SMS-only plans. In draft regulations released on Tuesday, Trai proposed that telecom operators must offer these plans across all recharge durations, not just limited long-term options, and ensure they are priced lower than bundled plans that include data. This move follows Trai's review of its December 2024 rules, which required operators to provide at least one such plan. However, the current implementation has been deemed inadequate, with operators primarily offering only a couple of long-duration options. The changes aim to support low-income users, elderly subscribers, and those using feature phones who prefer shorter, lower-cost recharges without data. Trai emphasized the need for parity between voice-and-SMS-only packs and data-inclusive plans to ensure fair choices for all consumers. The proposal is open for stakeholder comments until April 28. Currently, the uptake of voice-and-SMS-only plans remains low, with just over 7 million users out of India's total mobile subscriber base of 1.14 billion as of February.