NEW DELHI: Airtel has discontinued the base recharge plan of Rs 23 for pre-paid users in all circles which will be replaced by a Rs 45 pre-paid plan, implying a 95 per cent hike in the base plan.
The new price has gone live in all circles with Airtel informing subscribers through a public notice. The Rs 45 pre-paid recharge will offer the same benefits as the Rs 23 pre-paid plan.
The public notice states that the new Rs 45 Airtel smart recharge will offer local and STD voice calling at 2.5 paise per second, 5 paise per second for national video calls, and 50 paise per MB for data. SMS tariff is at Rs 1 per SMS for local, Rs. 1.5 per SMS for national, and Rs 5 per SMS for international messages. The validity of the new Rs 45 plan is 28 days. These are the same benefits as the Rs 23 pre-paid recharge plan that has now been discontinued.
The notice reads, "This notice is for pre-paid subscribers of Bharti Airtel Limited and Bharti Hexacom Limited ('Airtel') in all service areas. With effect from 29th December 2019, the existing SUK base plan is being discontinued. Further, it will be mandatory to recharge with a voucher of Rs 45 or above, every 28 days to avail services. In case of non-recharge with a voucher of Rs 45 of above, all services will be suspended post the grace period."
The grace period mentioned in the notice is of up to 15 days. After the completion of the grace period, if the subscriber fails to do a Rs 45 recharge, then the services will be suspended.
Telecom operators have been hiking prices for packs which is expected to provide sustainability for the sector.