Airtel Introduces New Voice and SMS-Only Prepaid Plans After TRAI Mandate

Bharti Airtel is introducing specialised prepaid recharge plans, including only voice and SMS services. The move comes after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a mandate last month to telecommunication operators in India to offer standalone Special Tariff Vouchers (STVs) specifically for voice and SMS services. These new plans will not include bundled data and are aimed at consumers who do not have Internet connectivity requirements, such as feature phone users or those who use a secondary SIM card in dual SIM-enabled smartphones. The company is reportedly restructuring two existing plans to fit the guidelines issued by TRAI.

Airtel Announces New Prepaid Recharge Plans

Airtel's decision makes it the first in the country to introduce voice and SMS-only recharge plans for prepaid users. The telecom operator has not added the new plans to its website yet, but it is expected to be rolled out shortly. Apart from voice and SMS service, these packs could also offer several additional benefits to users.

Editor's note: An Airtel representative reached out to Gadgets 360 on Thursday to confirm the new voice and SMS-only plans the company has introduced. 

Airtel has introduced a new Rs. 499 prepaid recharge plan. It will offer unlimited voice calls and 900 free SMS with a validity of 84 days. The plan also includes free Hello Tunes and three months of Apollo 24/7 Circle membership. In case users want data, they can instead opt for the Rs. 489 plan which offers the same voice and SMS benefits along with 6GB of data with a validity of 77 days. This plan does not include Hello Tunes but offers Apollo 24/7 Circle membership.

Additionally, for long-term usage, Airtel has also introduced a Rs. 1959 plan for prepaid users. It comes with unlimited voice calls and a total of 3,600 free SMS for a period of 365 days. This plan also includes free Hello Tunes and three months of Apollo 24/7 Circle membership. Its counterpart data-bundled plan is priced at Rs. 2,249 and offers the same voice and SMS benefits along with 30GB of data.

Once the SMS limit is crossed, Airtel will charge users Re. 1 per local message and Rs. 1.5 per STD message.

Last month, TRAI issued the twelfth amendment to the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, which also included this mandate. The announcement came after the telecom agency held an open-house discussion with stakeholders in October and addressed issues around tariff availability, validity of vouchers, and colour coding of vouchers.