Bharti Airtel Hikes Gprs / Mobile Office Tariff By 150%

[vvinayakpai 26]

Bharti Airtel Hikes GPRS / Mobile Office Tariff By 150%

India’s largest Mobile Service operator and Global global telecommunications company Bharti Airtel, today revised its default GPRS charges and have hiked Internet browsing tariff by more than 150% !. Interestingly this time no price drop, rather Airtel hikes up the 2G GPRS/EDGE browsing charges.

Now Airtel GPRS/Mobile Office users willbe charged at 30p/20KB pulse rate(existing rate is 30p/50KB) In other words, now a Airtel GPRS customer will have to pay around Rs. 15/MB in stead of the existing rate Rs. 6/MB.

The new tariff will be applicable from 5th January 2010. This change in tariff does not impact on new postpaid and prepaid subscribers who enroll any tariff plan in last 6 months as per TRAI rules. All such customers upon completion of 6 months on their existing plan will be charged as per above revised mobile Internet browsing tariff.

Airtel also announced that from 28th December its “Airtel Live” GPRS/WAP Mobile Portal browsing will be charged at the rate of 30p/20KB which was earlier free of charge.

With the hike in 2G GPRS-Mobile Internet tariff, it seems that Bharti Airtel threw water over its mobile users who had hopes of “cheap tariff” for upcoming 3G Mobile and Data services which is expected in January 2010.

SOurce: http://telecomtalk.info/bharti-airtel-hikes-gprs-mobile-office-tariff-by-150/52091/

[Karthik R 246]

I am already getting a smell of how the are going to going to charge 3G data..

They are trying hard to recover the money burnt in auctions but a really bad move now since MNP is just around the corner.

Does the unlimited gprs plan @ Rs.98 with 2Gb usage still hold true or have they hiked its tariff too?

[starnet 7]

The thing is that Airtel customers will pay without much complaints in big circles like Delhi and they know that.

What are the alternatives to Airtel for someone looking for decent service in Delhi?

RGSM simply stinks. It is a black spot on the name of GSM mobile service.

Idea cellular s**ks.

Vodafone is already costlier and customer support is bad.

Aircel is at best an half-hearted attempt to provide the service.

MTNL's network is also no good.

RCDMA is best for someone who has patience to try 4 times to dial a number because no call gets through in first attempt.

So who else is left? Airtel could have raised the prices by 500% and people would have paid without many complaints.

[rajanmehta 4,056]

If this revision applies to Mobile Office 98-2 GB pack, then cost for browsing and using 2 GB Data Will be Rs 30,000

Be Safe Than Sorry. Get an E Mail Confirmation.

(BTW Airtel CC had no idea about this revision as usual when i called)

[Honest 836]

Its time to reduce the tariffs and Airtel is increasing it.

[hritik123 4]

if all networks increase their GPRS plan price , then MNP really has no value,common loot, whr will u go man????

[raccoon 53]

I for one need not go anywhere. I feel internet on mobile is a nice thing to have, but not at all necessary. I'll be quite happy with wired broadband on comp... and internet on mobile thru WiFi.

When its really required while on the move, one could make minimal use or activate a day's plan or so if its cheap enough.

Of course others pattern of usage can of course be different, and they may genuinely need it for business purposes. But I feel for most, what I have said would hold true. If very less people subscribe/use it, if prices are hiked, they will be forced to keep prices low.

Indeed, it is time to reduce tariffs, but veteran looters like Airhell of course want to go the other way. Too bad, no dice for them and whoever else who chooses to follow them, at least from me.

Edited December 28, 2010 by raccoon

[Karthik R 246]

Not all people in our India can afford the luxuries of home pc and broadband. And their first break into the online world is often through the tiny screens of mobile phones. That is where 3G was touted as game changer - affordable high speed data on mobile, offering rural people telemedicine and e-learing. So this move by Airtel, the market leader in telecom sector with a mammoth base assumes its significance as it gives a fair idea of how they are going to price 3G plans and repercussions will be felt.

[Nags 0]

If this revision applies to Mobile Office 98-2 GB pack, then cost for browsing and using 2 GB Data Will be Rs. 30,000

Be Safe Than Sorry. Get an E Mail Confirmation.

(BTW Airtel CC had no idea about this revision as usual when i called)

I spoke to one of their CC & she informed that this is not applicable to the mobile office packs like 2 GB - 98 rs.

[pasumark 51]

So now our only hope is from RIL wireless to be started next year. Until then these guys are going to milk us the maximum for using data in wireless.

[viper_in_blood 4]

bsnl on mtnl still is a better option...take a 3g bsnl sim from outside delhi...n use it on mtnl still compared to airtel it wud be a lot cheaper.....in any case its gud for bsnl tht airtel's negative moves will help state run bsnl n mtnl in enlarging their already increasing market share....