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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently ordered telcos to introduce voice-only packs. The motive was to offer affordable plans to users who do not have any data requirements and only need voice and SMS services. As per TRAI’s instructions, here are the latest voice-only plans offered by Airtel, Jio, and Vi in India.
Airtel Voice-Only Prepaid Plans
Airtel’s voice-only plans start at Rs 469 and include free Hello Tunes with its voice-only plans. Additional benefits include a 3-month complimentary Apollo 24/7 Circle Membership. These plans are available in the Airtel Thanks app and third-party recharge platforms like PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, etc.
| Airtel Plan Price | Benefits | Validity |
| Rs 469 | Unlimited Calling 900 SMS |
84 days |
| Rs 1,849 | Unlimited Calling 3600 SMS |
365 days |
Jio Voice-Only Prepaid Plans
Jio’s voice-only plans are exclusively available via the My Jio app under the Value Packs section. These also include access to free content on JioTV, JioCinema, and JioCloud, along with 1 free JioTune every 30 days.
| Jio Plan Price | Benefits | Validity |
| Rs 448 | Unlimited Calling 1000 SMS |
84 days |
| Rs 1,748 | Unlimited Calling 3600 SMS |
336 days |
Vi Voice-Only Prepaid Plans
Vi’s voice-only plans do not include any add-on benefits. These are available in the Vi app, website, and third-party recharge platforms.
| Vi Plan Price | Benefits | Validity |
| Rs 470 | Unlimited Calling 900 SMS |
84 days |
| Rs 1849 | Unlimited Calling 3600 SMS |
365 days |
Which Telco Offers Cheapest Plan to Keep Your SIM Active?
Jio offers the cheapest voice-only plans and its prices are 5% lower than what Airtel and Vi offer. This applies to both quarterly and annual plans. So if you want to have a basic plan to keep your secondary active, Jio is currently the most affordable.
You can also explore BSNL’s Rs 1,198 prepaid plan, which has a 365-day validity. However, it has limited benefits, including, a monthly limit of 300 minutes of calling, 3GB total data, and 30 SMS, which is refreshed each month.
Voice-Only Plans: The Controversy
Before TRAI’s order to bring voice-only plans; Airtel, Jio, and Vi already had some affordable plans that offered unlimited calling and 2GB total data each month. These plans were priced 30-40% lower than prepaid recharges with daily data limits.
Instead of launching newer voice-only plans at affordable prices, telcos removed data from the existing value plans and reduced the price by just a small margin. This move enraged customers as the new plans were far from affordable, and the option to have at least 2GB of total data was taken away.
Here’s a comparison of the old discontinued value packs and the new voice-only plans in Airtel, Jio, and Vi:
| Airtel | Jio | Vi | |||
| Old | New | Old | New | Old | New |
| Rs 199 28 days 2GB |
NA | Rs 189 28 days 2GB |
NA | Rs 199 28 days 2GB |
NA |
| Rs 509 84 days 6GB |
Rs 469 84 days |
Rs 479 84 days 6GB |
Rs 448 84 days |
Rs 509 84 days 6GB |
Rs 469 84 days |
| Rs 1999 365 days 24GB |
Rs 1849 365 days |
Rs 1899 336 days 24GB |
Rs 1748 336 days |
Rs 1999 365 days 24GB |
Rs 1849 365 days |
The new plans appear highly expensive as they offer no data benefits, but their prices are just 10% lower than older tariffs. Telecom users all over India started criticizing the telcos and TRAI over the same.
After witnessing the consumer outrage, TRAI issued a public statement that it would review the new voice-only plans launched by Airtel, Jio, and Vi.
— TRAI (@TRAI) January 23, 2025
However, it has been over two weeks and there has been no word from the regulatory body. We will keep you updated if TRAI issues an update on this, so stay tuned.
The post Voice-Only Plans in Airtel, Jio, and Vi After TRAI Regulations: Check Plans appeared first on MySmartPrice.