Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel has increased the tariff rates on prepaid plans by 25 percent. Airtel’s new tariff rates will be applicable from November 26. In such a situation, after Airtel, now other telecom companies can also increase the tariff.
According to the information, the company said that its base plan of Rs 73 has now become Rs 99. It will get 50 percent more talk time. Similarly, the Rs 149 plan will now be available for Rs 179. It comes with a validity of 28 days, unlimited calling, 100 SMS per day and a total of 2GB data. Similarly, the Rs 219 plan is now Rs 265. In this, 100 SMS and 1 GB data will be available daily with a validity of 28 days.
Significantly, after the increase in tariff prices, Airtel’s prepaid plans have become 30 to 50 percent more expensive than Reliance Jio. Jio’s plan with 2 GB and 28 days validity is Rs 129. While the price of Airtel’s plan is Rs 179. Similarly, Jio’s 1.5 GB daily plan for 84 days costs Rs 555. Whereas Airtel customers will have to pay Rs 719 for this.
Airtel said in a statement that the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) should be Rs 200 and it should be again increased to Rs 300 so that companies can get a reasonable return on investment capital. The company argues that this is essential for a healthy business model. The company also said that the ARPU coming in at this level will provide the necessary investment for network and spectrum. Also, it will provide the company with the resources to launch 5G services in the country. For this, the company has decided to increase the tariff in November.
It is expected that after Airtel, other companies can also change the tariff rates. Especially Vodafone-Idea, which is struggling with heavy debt, may increase its prepaid rates. However, the tariff hike by companies may once again focus on quality of services.