Telecom operators are ramping up their efforts to offer public Wi-Fi service to the customers. While BSNL is currently leading the segment with close to one lakh public Wi-Fi hotspots, private operators like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are slowly catching up. Airtel, which is currently the third largest telecom operator in India, is introducing a new service called 'Airtel WiFi Zone' to its prepaid subscribers. As part of this new service, the company is silently crediting up to 20GB of free Airtel WiFi data for users who recharge with unlimited combo plans. For example, if you recharge with Airtel's prepaid plans above Rs 399, you'll receive 20GB of Airtel WiFi data. And Airtel claims that the Airtel WiFi service is available across more than 500 locations across Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi and Bengaluru.
Connect via Airtel Thanks App or Through SSID
The new Airtel WiFi Zone will be available in public places like Airports, Colleges, Hospitals, Corporate Parks, Retail shops and more. However, it is worth noting that currently Airtel is allowing its prepaid subscribers to connect their phones in the Wi-Fi Zone and the service is presently unavailable for postpaid subscribers. In case you’re in an Airtel WiFi Zone, you can easily use the My Airtel app to connect to the Wi-Fi by tapping on the “My Wi-Fi” tile in your Airtel Thanks application. After accepting permission, you will be able to browse the internet. Alternatively, you can also establish a connection via OTP and signing in to the Wi-Fi network by connecting to the open SSID named @Free Airtel Wi-Fi. On the sign in page, you can tap the “Airtel User” button to proceed with the OTP verification process.
The advantage of connecting to Airtel WiFi Zone via Airtel Thanks app will be that; you get an easy way to keep a check on your balance data. Airtel has also noted on its website, that once you run out of this quota, you will have to disconnect the Wi-Fi and resume using your mobile data for further internet usage. In case you would like to try out the Airtel WiFi Zone service, you can head over to the Airtel official website and navigate to the “Check Wi-Fi location” tab, type in your city and location to see whether you have nearby access to the Airtel WiFi Zone.
Access to Free Data at Airtel WiFi Zone
Speaking of the data allowance which every customer is getting as part of this new Airtel offering, the telco has announced that every subscriber with the subscription to unlimited combo plan will get up to 20GB worth of data credited to their account for use in Airtel WiFi Zone. Like we mentioned above, Airtel subscribers will be able to check the leftover data from their Airtel Thanks app or Airtel Self Care website. Having said that, the data benefit will differ with the prepaid plan you recharge. Airtel's unlimited combo plans ship with up to 20GB free Wi-Fi data for usage with a pre-fixed validity period and the validity of the Wi-Fi data will differ compared to your prepaid plan's validity. Right now, Airtel WiFi Zone service is available across various parts of Delhi, Karnataka, Pune, Hyderabad locations. Airtel users will also be eligible for 5GB, 10GB Wi-Fi data benefit.
