A representative image of a person walking past a Bharti Airtel office/Image Courtesy/Reuters
Leading mobile service provider Bharti Airtel has increased the price of its minimum mobile recharge plan for 28-day service by about 57 per cent to ₹155 in eight circles, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh West.
The company has stopped its minimum recharge plan of ₹99, under which it offered 200 megabyte of data and calls at the rate of ₹2.5 paise per second. In Haryana and Odisha, Airtel has now started offering the ₹155 plan with unlimited calling, 1 GB of data and 300 SMSes.
The company had initially implemented the hiked tariff in Haryana and Odisha in November.
When contacted, an Airtel spokesperson said: "In line with our focus on providing a better customer experience, we have discontinued the metered tariff and introduced an entry-level plan of ₹155 with unlimited voice, 1 GB data and 300 sms. Customers can now use this plan with no constraints. We believe this plan will prove greater flexibility, convenience and superior value".
Other circles where the ₹99 plan has been replaced with ₹155 recharge plan are-- Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, North East and Himachal Pradesh.
According to sources closely engaged with the development, the company will roll out the same across India gradually.
The company is likely to end all 28-day calling plans with SMS and data priced below ₹155. This means that even for getting SMS service in the monthly plan, a customer will have to recharge his mobile phone account with a ₹155 voucher.
(Inputs from PTI)