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Airtel’s New Tariff Hike – Higher Costs for Basic Phone Users

Highlights

Airtel’s new prepaid plans following TRAI’s directive have made basic phone services 10-15% more expensive.
The Rs 509 plan now offers unlimited voice calls and 900 SMS messages.
The Rs 1,999 plan provides unlimited voice calls and 3,000 SMS messages
Both plans are without mobile data.
The tariff hike impacts 2G users, rural residents, elderly users and dual-SIM users.

Airtel announces revised prepaid mobile tariffs. (Image credit – The New Indian Express)

Bharti Airtel has rolled out new prepaid plans following a directive from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to offer separate voice and SMS packs. However, the revised tariffs have made all the prepaid services 10-15% more expensive for users who rely on basic phone services.

The updated Rs 509 plan is valid for 84 days and now includes unlimited voice calls and 900 SMS messages but removes the 6GB of mobile data that was previously included.

Similarly, the annual Rs 1,999 plan no longer offers the earlier 24GB of mobile data, though it still provides unlimited voice calls and 3,000 SMS messages.

TRAI mandated telecom operators to introduce special tariff vouchers that let users pay specifically for services they need such as voice or SMS without bundling unnecessary data in December 2023. Airtel’s revised plans align with this directive but at a higher cost for users.

Reports estimate that 140-150 million people in India still use 2G services including rural residents, elderly users, and dual-SIM users who don’t depend on mobile data. These users who typically rely on affordable voice and SMS services will now face higher costs for similar offerings.

This is Airtel’s second tariff increase in less than a year, which is most likely to now make other telecom operators also increase prices. For basic users, the price hike could make daily communication more expensive, especially as mobile data benefits have been excluded from these entry-level plans.

While Airtel has complied with TRAI’s directive, the changes may create challenges for customers who depend on affordable services for basic communication.

FAQs

Q1. What changes have been made to Airtel’s Rs 509 plan?

Answer. The updated Rs 509 plan now includes unlimited voice calls and 900 SMS messages but removes the 6GB of mobile data that was previously included.

Q2. What does Airtel’s Rs 1,999 plan now offer?

Answer. The annual Rs 1,999 plan no longer offers the earlier 24GB of mobile data, though it still provides unlimited voice calls and 3,000 SMS messages.

Q3. Who will be most affected by Airtel’s new tariff hike?

Answer. The tariff hike impacts 2G users, rural residents, elderly users, and dual-SIM users who rely on affordable voice and SMS services making daily communication more costly as mobile data benefits are excluded from entry-level plans.