Bharti Airtel has once again followed the footsteps of Reliance Jio by removing international roaming activation fee for all the customers. Airtel, which used to charge Rs 99 as international roaming activation charges, today revealed that it's doing away with the charges, same as Jio. For the unaware, Airtel currently charges Rs 99 every month as activation charges for international roaming, but going forward, that's not the case as consumers can travel abroad without any hassle. Last year, when Jio introduced its postpaid plan of Rs 199, it stated that there wouldn't be any activation charges for international roaming. It's also expected that Vodafone Idea will come out with something similar very soon. This news is confirmed by CEO of Bharti Airtel, Gopal Vittal in an email sent out to the customers moments back.
Bharti Airtel Removes International Roaming Activation Charges
These days, a lot of consumers are travelling abroad for work/vacation purpose. To make use of the same Indian SIM card in another country, they're supposed to activate an international roaming plan. But before that, customers are required to activate international roaming capability on their SIM card. For Airtel prepaid users, it's pre-activated, meaning if you travel to another country, it will be activated of its own, and a monthly charge of Rs 99 will be levied on the mobile number.
For Airtel postpaid users, it has to be done manually. But with the latest development, there's no requirement for activating the international roaming service on your mobile number as you're just required to activate a roaming plan to enjoy services. Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio introduced this scheme last year, and Bharti Airtel has followed the same now.
Bharti Airtel made this move on the occasion of New Year 2019. In the email sent out to Airtel customers, Gopal Vittal, noted "We've decided to do away with International Roaming activation fee for all our customers. We believe that staying connected with your loved ones should not be disrupted by borders, which is why starting today, you will no longer have to pay to keep your number active when you are travelling abroad."
Airtel Offers International Roaming Services in 175 Countries
Alongside the international roaming activation fee removal announcement, the telco also stated that it offers the most extensive coverage for roaming users. "We are excited to announce that our international roaming packs have the most extensive coverage, with telecom partnerships in 175 countries. So no matter where you go on your next overseas trip, we have got you covered," further added Vittal in the email.
Furthermore, Airtel also introduced Smart International Roaming Packs. These packs ensure that you will never have to worry about bill shocks. The Airtel Smart International Roaming plans get auto-applied when you exceed the daily usage criteria.
For postpaid users, Airtel international roaming packs start at Rs 649 for one day, Rs 2,999 for ten days and Rs 3,999 for 30 days. For prepaid users, Airtel has a wide-range of plans starting at Rs 296 and going all the way up to Rs 3,997.
