Attention Jio Airtel Vodafone BSNL users: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has brought new set of guidelines for the millions of 2G users in India. After the 4G revolution in India the focus of telecom companies shifted to offering internet plus calling kind of subscription data packs which led to a rise in the cost that the 2G user had to pay without using the 4G internet. Subsequently the TRAI brought some guidelines for those 2G users depending on basic mobile services like voice calls and SMS and are required to buy expensive recharge plans. Rs 10 Top-up vouchers As per the new TRAI guideline Airtel Jio BSNL and Vodafone Idea (Vi) can now offer smaller denomination plans starting at Rs 10 which will have smaller validity calling features for 2G users of India. This will be happening because TRAI has removed the Rs 10 benchmark allowing companies to issue top-up vouchers of any value. Voice and SMS-only plans The TRAI has directed telecom companies to create voice and SMS-only plans for 2G phone users who do not need internet services. Consequently economical plans will be available for these users. Special Tariff Voucher (STV) Validity Increased In a matter of great news for users who have less internet consumption and who want maximum validity TRAI has increased the validity of certain Special Tariff Vouchers from 90 days to 365 days. TRAI releases data on Airtel BSNL/MTNL Reliance Jio Vodafone Idea In another event the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its Independent Drive Tests (IDT) conducted in four cities--New Delhi Jaipur Ahmednagar and Hyderabad--during September to October 2024. According to the Ministry of Communications the tests were conducted through an empaneled agency to assess the quality of voice and data services provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers in these regions. The tests focused on major telecom players including Bharti Airtel Ltd. BSNL/MTNL Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (RJIL) and Vodafone Idea Ltd. (VIL). These tests evaluated key performance indicators (KPIs) such as voice call setup success rate call drop rate (DCR) speech quality data throughput and other relevant metrics. (With inputs from agencies)