Airtel’s new tariff makes it pricier for base users
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel’s new plan, rolled out following the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) directive to introduce a single voice and SMS tariff pack, has made the rates 10-15% more expensive for basic phone users.
Airtel’s updated Rs 509 pack, valid for 84 days, now offers unlimited voice calls and 900 free SMS messages, but offers no mobile data, a departure from its previous inclusion of 6GB data. Similarly, the revised Rs 1,999 annual prepaid plan no longer includes mobile data benefits, which previously comprised 24GB, in addition to unlimited voice calls and 3,000 free SMSes.
In December 2023, TRAI issued a directive mandating network operators to offer users special tariff vouchers, allowing them to pay for specific services they need, such as voice or SMS packs, without bundling unnecessary data.
According to market reports, approximately 140-150 million people in India still use 2G services. This include dual-SIM users, elderly individuals, and rural residents who do not rely on data for daily communication. These users will now have to pay more for the same services under the new mandate.
This marks the second price hike by Airtel in less than a year. It is a common trend among telecom operators that when one raises tariffs, the others soon follow suit.