Bharti Airtel has launched voice and SMS-only prepaid plans, as mandated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Airtel has introduced two new prepaid plans to comply with TRAI's requirements to cater to users who only need voice and SMS services, allowing consumers to pay solely for the services they require. Let's quickly review the new prepaid plans and offerings available to Airtel customers in this segment.
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1. Airtel Rs 499 Prepaid Plan
Airtel's new Rs 499 prepaid plan includes unlimited voice calls and 900 SMS messages, with a validity of 84 days. Additionally, Airtel Rewards include an Apollo 24/7 Circle membership for 3 months and free Hello Tunes.
Previously, a plan in this segment cost Rs 509 and included 6GB of data along with Xstream App benefits, granting access to free content. Now, for a price difference of Rs 10, the new plan provides unlimited voice and SMS benefits without any data benefits.
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2. Airtel Rs 1,959 Prepaid Plan
For Airtel users seeking a long-term or yearly plan, the Rs 1,959 yearly plan offers unlimited voice calls and 3,600 SMS messages, valid for 365 days. Additionally, Airtel Rewards include an Apollo 24/7 Circle membership for 3 months and free Hello Tunes.
Previously, a plan in this segment cost Rs 1,999 and came with 24GB of data as well as Xstream App benefits, granting access to free content. Now, the plan has been reduced by Rs 40 and only offers unlimited voice and SMS benefits.
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3. Airtel Rs 548 Prepaid Plan
For those looking for an affordable plan with minimal data and 84 days of validity, Airtel has launched a new plan, or we can safely say, revised its old Rs 509 plan with the new Rs 548 plan. The Airtel Rs 548 prepaid plan comes bundled with unlimited voice, 900 SMS, and 7GB of data, all with a validity of 84 days. Additionally, Airtel Rewards include a 3-month Apollo 24/7 Circle membership and free Hello Tunes. With an increase of Rs 39, the plan now offers 1GB more data, while the other benefits remain the same.
4. Airtel Rs 2,249 Prepaid Plan
For those looking for an affordable yearly plan with minimal data, Airtel has revised its existing Rs 1999 plan by introducing a new Rs 2249 plan. The prepaid plan comes bundled with unlimited voice, 30GB of data, and 3600 SMS, all with a validity of 365 days. Additionally, Airtel Rewards include a 3-month Apollo 24/7 Circle membership and free Hello Tunes. With an increase of Rs 250 the plan now offers 6GB data extra and other benefits remained the same.
Conclusion
Airtel's old plans, Rs 509 and Rs 1,999, which offered voice, SMS, and data benefits, are no longer available for recharge as of this writing. These two plans have been replaced by the Airtel Rs 548 and Rs 2,249 prepaid plans. The two new plans are bundled with voice and SMS-only benefits, maintaining competitive pricing in the market while contributing to Airtel's near-term Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) target of Rs 300. The other two newly launched or revised plans align with the tariff correction measures. This can be seen as a tariff adjustment targeting the higher pricing segment. Airtel subscribers can use Airtel's data packs if they need additional data on top of these Voice and SMS-only plans.
These new plans represent significant tariff revisions, and looking at the current trends, we can anticipate steeper tariff adjustments going forward. As of this writing, there are no other new plans. If any new plans are introduced, we will update the story.
