Key facts
- Telecom operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea rejected Trai's proposal for standalone voice and SMS plans.
- Consumer groups argue that 300-350 million feature phone users are forced to pay for data they don't use.
- Telcos claim the proposal is technically unsound and anti-consumer, while consumer groups dispute this.
- The proposed plans aim to benefit low-income, rural, and elderly users who primarily need voice and SMS services.
Telecom operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have rejected a proposal from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to mandate affordable, standalone voice and SMS plans. Consumer advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations argue that this would benefit millions of feature phone users who are currently forced to purchase data packs they do not use.
Telcos have urged Trai to maintain the status quo, arguing that the proposed mandate is anti-consumer, technically unsound, and contradicts the regulator's long-standing stance on market forbearance. A Reliance Jio executive stated that modern 4G and 5G networks are internet protocol-based, making it infeasible to separate voice from data. The company also warned that cheap, short-validity voice and SMS plans could lower the economic barrier for scammers, leading to an increase in fraud.
Vodafone Idea expressed concerns that not bundling data could result in bill shocks for consumers due to incidental background data usage for software updates and OTP verifications. Bharti Airtel argued that creating voice-only packs contradicts government policies and risks creating a structurally data-excluded segment.
Consumer advocacy groups refuted these claims, highlighting that many users in tribal and hilly areas are forced to buy data packs despite unreliable network coverage. They also pointed out that the cost per gigabyte in the lowest entry-level packs is significantly higher than in premium plans.