India's major telecom operators are resisting regulatory pressure to expand voice-only recharge plans. Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea argue there is insufficient consumer demand for such offerings and warn the move could undermine digital adoption and compromise their 5G investment returns. The dispute highlights a fundamental tension between regulatory consumer protection mandates and telecom industry interests. The Cellular Operators Association contends that if market demand existed, operators would already offer these plans competitively. Trai, however, found operators have failed to adequately provide voice-and-SMS-only options across varying validity periods, limiting consumer choice. This regulatory clash raises broader questions about tariff flexibility, network investment sustainability, and the telecom sector's role in India's digital transformation agenda.
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