Airtel likely to revise prepaid and postpaid plans soon, prices may increase

Telecom companies including Airtel are planning to gradually revise their plans and hiking tariffs indirectly in some areas along with altering the benefits. Even though major players in the industry like Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone-Idea have been expanding their prepaid plan portfolio, the telecom under is still tackling immense pressure. Media reports have stated that Airtel would revise some of its postpaid plans and will subsequently alter the benefits and prices.

While the postpaid plans are priced under Rs 1,000, the first postpaid plan is an add-on proceed at Rs 249 and will witness an increase in tariff along with the benefits. Reportedly, the second Airtel postpaid plan is priced at Rs 999 but will be subjected to change in benefits and not price. The Rs 249 postpaid add-on plan will also witness an increase by Rs 50 and will be costing Rs 299 per month, the reports have stated. However, with the price, the benefits such as offering 30GB of data instead of 10 GB will be offered. 

Presently, Airtel offers Rs 999 postpaid plan that provides unlimited calls and 100 SMS for 24 hours with 150GB 3G or 4G data per month with the data rollover up to 200GB. The plan presently gives a one-year subscription to Amazon Prime and a VIP subscription to Disney+ Hotstar along with a subscription to Airtel XStream among other benefits. Even though the plan allows four family add-on connections, the revision will view the reductio of same from four to three.

Tariff hike started in December 2020

The tariff hike in the telecom industry had already started in December 2020 when Vi revised its process of family postpaid plans across the nation. The previous plans offered by the company have also been hiked by Rs 50 and the plans cost Rs 649, Rs 799, Rs 999, and Rs 1,348. Meanwhile, Vodafone-Idea also offers individual postpaid plans priced at Rs 399, Rs 499, Rs 699 and Rs 1,099.

Reports stating Airtel hikes in prices and benefits of its plans came as Airtel Kenya also on July 2 announced that “the excise duty on telephone and internet services has been revised from 15% to 20%, effective 1st July 2021. In view of this change, Airtel Kenya will increase its headline voice tariff to 2 Bob plus taxes which will equate to Ksh2.78 per minute.”

IMAGE: PTI/Representative