Airtel has come up with a innovative service called number locker which will help NRI’s a chance to keep your number active till you come back and start using the number again.To avail the service Airtel subscribers have to do a recharge for Rs 150 and the number will be kept active for a period of 6 months.
Airtel Number Locker Offer Details
| Denomination (in Rs.) | Validity |
| 150 | 6 months |
| 300 | 12 months |
| 600 | 24 months |
It is significant to mention that, few months back, state run mobile service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) also launched similar service dubbed as “KEEP CONNECTED” similar to the Airtel’s Number Locker Service which can be activated through SMS as earlier shared by us in TelecomTalk. However Airtel is offering the same service on paid basis, where as BSNL offering the same service for Free of cost.
selvam K January 2, 2013 at 4:42 pm
airtel peripaid numbers
VIVEK July 17, 2012 at 6:47 pm
If I pay Rs.150 for number locker recharge.the payment can be done thru online Debit card or I have to pay 154R via dealers?/
Ejaz July 11, 2012 at 10:52 am
Could someone help me ?
If i do Rs.600 for 2 years and went to aboard..I came to india inbetween this 2 year time and used the number..so when i go now i should do for number locker recharge again ?
softdina July 11, 2012 at 10:24 am
“However Airtel is offering the same service on paid basis, where as BSNL offering the same service for Free of cost.”
Nice idea.. one with free, one with paid for same service.
Tharun George July 9, 2012 at 2:45 pm
They say one incoming or outgoing call. All sims are international roaming enable. Making a 1 sec call costs less than Rs 5 in any country(Including incoming roaming charges)
DB July 9, 2012 at 12:34 pm
@Pratik
@ PRATIK – you cannot “lose” a number – if PHYSICALLY lost – go get a SIM replacement … if you are referring to NUMBER DELETION you need to use every 30 days (ONE CHARGEABLE EVENT) where an event is a call/sms/vas deduction.
If THEN too you did not you probably never NEEDED that number anyway!
>> I have already lost my number. Even no chance was given to me for retrieving this number. When i lost my number. next day i went for re-issue my number in postpaid. But They already issue this number with prepaid (kit). They did not wait even for one day. So Stay out of airtel in case of prepaid.
Jagan T July 9, 2012 at 12:30 pm
This is the very useful idea for NRI’s. But they are returning at-least once in the year. So Rs 150 for one year or Rs 300 for two years will be better.
Present charges clearly LOOTING by AirHell.
DB July 9, 2012 at 12:29 pm
@Tharun George
@ THARUN – this might work for cheapsters like you (and me!) however NRIs will bother about insertinmg a SIM to make one call. Besides on INTERNATIONAL ROAMING the call charges itself are so high, one might as well pay the charges & keep the alive/reserved.
>> Why spend this much? Just take your prepaid every 90 days and make an incoming or outgoing call. Its just that simple
Pratik July 9, 2012 at 11:52 am
I have already lost my number. Even no chance was given to me for retrieving this number. When i lost my number. next day i went for re-issue my number in postpaid. But They already issue this number with prepaid (kit). They did not wait even for one day. So Stay out of airtel in case of prepaid.
Tharun George July 8, 2012 at 10:36 pm
I think they also follow the 90 days policy of Trai + 200 recharge in 6 months.
Vodafone website says
“Prepaid Customers:
Services to your mobile number would be discontinued if there is no usage i.e., no Voice Calls (incoming or outgoing), SMS & Data for any continuous period of 60 days. No refund would be given for any unused talk time balance and validity of the card. Number will be unusable post disconnection.
Customer with lifetime validity needs to do mandatorily recharge with Rs.200 cumulative in 180 days to avoid disconnection.”
What these operators do with port in numbers disconnected? Will they reallocate it? If they reallocate port-in numbers it looks bad. Eg: vodafone offering BSNL 944 series.
Sudhakar July 8, 2012 at 10:34 pm
To all :
Please do not recharge by ordinary method to enable this feature.
Please recharge from :
pay.airtel.com/PrepaidOnlineRecharge/mobileRecharge.jsp
vishal J July 8, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Vodafone and some other operators are disconnecting your number if you don’t recharge minimum Rs. 200 in 6 months. That’s better then this because you at least get your money back as a balance. Here you get nothing.
Manobala July 8, 2012 at 10:17 pm
SO if i’m going for foreign countries i will use protablity to switch over from Airtel to BSNL. Then i will activate Keep connected service via sms for free and i will keep the sim in home. Once i return i will again switch from BSNL to Airtel. I can Donate that money instead of giving to Telecom providers
sunny July 8, 2012 at 9:58 pm
YES U R RIGHT@abhijith
sunny July 8, 2012 at 9:54 pm
BSNL is offering it free, airtel u cheat people by advertising it in different ways. BSNL DONT SHOW OFF LIKE U AIRTEL…..READ THIS http://telecomtalk.info/bsnl-to-discontinue-inactive-prepaid-mobile-connections/85286/
kashif July 8, 2012 at 9:11 pm
keep your no. recharge with rs 10 with in 90 then your no. will active
abhijith July 8, 2012 at 8:41 pm
@Sudhakar
ya . . . Its real customer care executives don’t know any thing . . I experience it in Vodafone what ever network problem they wont accept it . . They alwaYs say to check your handset . If we verify the offers in website then ask to customer care executive they ill say there is no such offer available with them . . Comedy is it surly available with retailer . I i experience this with Vodafone , Bsnl , Reliance . . None other network i find this faults . . This was in Tamilnadu . . About other circle no idea . .
abhijith July 8, 2012 at 8:39 pm
@Sudhakar
ya . . . Its real customer care executives don’t know any thing . . I experience it in Vodafone what ever network problem they wont accept it . . They alwaYs say to check your handset . If we verify the offers in website then ask to customer care executive they ill say there is no such offer available with them . . Comedy is it surly available with retailer . I i experience this with Vodafone , Bsnl , Reliance . . None other network i find this faults . . This was in Tamilnadu . . About other circle no idea
Sudhakar July 8, 2012 at 7:20 pm
Is it real?. The customer care people do not know anything.
Sudhakar July 8, 2012 at 7:16 pm
To Tharun George :
Except IDEA and Uninor all operators will charge Rs.99 per month as international roaming rental.
ahmed farooqi July 8, 2012 at 6:42 pm
wowwwwwww superbb
raja July 8, 2012 at 5:20 pm
bhai ab aur kaun kaun se tarike me hmse paise lega ye greatest chor……….pure India ko lutke to pura Africa kharid liya ab kya pura world kharidega…..
abhijith July 8, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Nice thinking but rate should be less from 150 to 50 then its some what reasonable . . Bsnl offering for free . . Thats a point
Tharun George July 8, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Why spend this much? Just take your prepaid every 90 days and make an incoming or outgoing call. Its just that simple.
I maintain idea, airtel, docomo, aircel, uninor, reliance sims like these.