Media365
Airtel has announced a significant rejig to its prepaid recharge plans in response to a recent order from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that mandates telecom companies to include plans with only voice and SMS offerings for customers who do not want bundled data. India’s second-largest telecom company by subscribers has refreshed the ₹509 and ₹1,999 to exclude data benefits.
The ₹509 prepaid recharge plan now bundles only voice and SMS benefits for 84 days. Customers get unlimited calls and 900 SMSes for the entire validity. Plus, they are eligible for free access to the Airtel Xstream app, Apollo 24/7 Circle membership, and Hello Tunes. The recharge plan with the same voice and SMS benefits alongside bundled data now costs ₹569 instead.
On the other hand, the ₹1,999 plan lasts a year, offering customers unlimited voice calls and a total of 3,000 SMSes. The 24GB data benefit is no longer a part of this plan, but other complimentary benefits such as access to Airtel Xstream, Apollo 24/7 Circle, and Hello Tunes remain. Airtel says that customers will be charged for data usage under these plans while sending SMS beyond the free limit will cost them ₹1 for a local SMS and ₹1.5 for an SMS sent to STD numbers.
Airtel’s new recharge plans come days after TRAI’s order, making the company the first carrier to implement the change. Its rivals, Reliance Jio and Vi (formerly Vodafone Idea), have yet to introduce recharge plans without data benefits. Previously, Reliance Jio emerged as the first telecom company to implement TRAI’s last order to offer recharge plans with validities of 30 days instead of 28 days or less.
In other news, Airtel said its satellite communication (Satcom) services are ready for rollout in India. Speaking to ANI at the World Economic Forum, Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said, “In India, we are waiting for, as you know, the spectrum allocation to be done. Both our stations are ready, one in Gujarat and one in Tamil Nadu. The base stations are ready.” He added that the company is awaiting the government’s nod to begin the deployment.
