Airtel launches voice-only prepaid plans staring from Rs 185 following govt mandate

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Bharti Airtel has become the first telecom operator to launch new voice-and-SMS-only prepaid plans under the government’s latest telecom rules. The telecom provider now offers Voice-only plans starting from Rs 185. The other plans are priced at Rs 203 and Rs 206. Airtel has also listed the plans on the Airtel website and app.

The three plans arrive days before the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) October 21 deadline for operators to comply with its updated requirements.

According to the company, the new plans are aimed at customers who primarily use their phones for calls and text messages and do not need bundled mobile data. All three offer unlimited local, STD and roaming calls, along with 300 SMS for their respective validity periods.

Let’s take a quick look at what more these plans offer:

The Rs 185 plan is the cheapest option and comes with 28 days of validity. Meanwhile, the Rs 203 recharge plan has a validity of 390 days and offers both calling and SMS benefits. The Rs 206 plan also offers unlimited calling and 300 SMS. However, it comes with calendar-month validity rather than a fixed 30-day period.

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The plans also offer additional benefit of free HelloTunes, allowing customers to set a caller tune without paying an additional charge.

What are the new TRAI rules?

Recently, TRAI ordered the telecom operators, including Airtel, Reliance Jio and others, to offer voice-and-SMS-only special tariff vouchers without bundled mobile data withing October 31. It gave them 30 days to comply.

They also call for more flexible validity options, including shorter-duration packs, monthly renewal and at least one longer-validity option.

The mandate was introduced to address concerns that customers who mainly use their phones for calls and messages were paying for mobile data they rarely used. This is particularly relevant for feature phone users, many of whom rely on their devices primarily for basic communication.

Also Read: Airtel Rs 3999 Prepaid plan now comes with Bonus 150GB data

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