Prepaid and postpaid telecom plans are becoming more costly. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has indirectly raised the prices for certain of its prepaid and postpaid plans, only days after private telecom operators such as Airtel and Vi hiked the rates for some of their prepaid and postpaid services.
Indirect tariffs are those in which the price of the plan stays the same but the benefits are decreased. The prices for the plans have remained the same, however, the validity of such plans has been decreased by BSNL.
BSNL was well-known for providing large amounts of validity time with their service packages. Telcos are expected to raise tariff increases even more in the next four to six months to increase (average revenue per user) and average gross revenue, according to media speculation (AGR).
The validity period for special rate vouchers priced at Rs 49, Rs 75, and Rs 94, as well as plan vouchers priced at Rs 106, Rs 107, Rs 197, and Rs 397, has been decreased by BSNL.
Kerala Telecom was the first to notice the alterations, which occurred on August 1 and were initially reported by the media.
Although the entry-level special rate coupon priced at Rs 49 used to have a duration of 28 days, that time frame has now been shortened to 24 days. Customers who wish to keep their plans active may use this special tariff coupon to get a discount on their bills. This offer includes reduced call rates of 45 pence per minute, 2GB of free data, and up to 100 free SMS to any network for the full duration of the offer’s validity.
Airtel’s Rs 49 entry-level prepaid recharge package was phased out at the end of last month. Customers can benefit from up to four times more outgoing minutes of use and double data with the company’s new prepaid packs, which will begin with the Rs 79 Smart Recharge and go higher from there.
Meanwhile, BSNL’s Rs 75 prepaid plan will have a 50-day validity period, as opposed to the prior 60-day validity period that it offered before. Aside from that, it provides 100 minutes of free phone conversations to any network, 2GB of complimentary internet, and free BSNL default songs for a period of 50 days. Outgoing calls are charged at a rate of 30 paise per minute after the first free call.
BSNL’s Rs 94 STV is the next product in this category; however, the validity period has been decreased to 75 days, as opposed to the prior validity period of 90 days. It provides 3GB of free data for a period of 75 days. It also provides free BSNL default songs for the first 60 days after signing up for the service. In addition to the free calls, all outbound voice calls will be charged at the rate of 30 paise per minute after that.
The plans, which are priced at Rs 106 and Rs 107, have been changed to provide 84 days validity instead of the existing 100-day validity, as shown in the table below. For 84 days, each of these plan coupons provides 100 minutes of free calls to any network, as well as 3GB of free data. Customers may also take advantage of free BSNL default songs for a period of 60 days.
The Rs 197 prepaid deal from BSNL will have a 150-day validity period instead of the previous 180-day period. A subscription to the Zing Music app is included, as well as unlimited phone calls to any network, 2GB of data per day, 100 free SMS per day, and 100 free MMS per day. Freebies will be provided by the telecom for the first 18 days after recharge.
The BSNL Rs 397 prepaid plan is a yearly plan that has a duration of 365 days and is offered by the company. It will, however, now have a shorter validity period of just 300 days.
Unlimited phone calls to and from any network will be included in the plans, as well as 2GB of data daily and 100 Free SMS per day, free Lokdhun entertainment, and free BSNL Default Tunes. The freebies will be accessible for use for the first 60 days after a recharge has been completed.
