Update: We got a mail from Airtel. Here is what their Spokesperson said, “There is no change in the headline tariff. In most circles we have reduced promotional benefits and free minutes on both acquisition and existing usage. We are committed to enhance value for our customers through continued investments in network, technology, customer experience and life enriching services”
According to a report in ET, telecom operators Airtel and Idea seem to have hiked their tariff by almost 100% with Airtel doubling the call rates from Re.1 per minute to Rs 2 per minute. Idea is also being said to have gone ahead with a steep hike from 1.2 paise per second to 2 paise per second.
If the report it to be believed, then the call rates have been hiked in 22 circles in a phased manner and Airtel has in a written reply said that the hike was inevitable and revision in rates is in line with increasing costs.
While the companies have said that they have already submitted the plan to up the call tariff with the telecom watchdog, TRAI, the source doesn’t rule out the possibility of TRAI coming forward and intervening on the matter. To protect the interest of the consumers, TRAI may force operators to pull back the hike in tariffs.
We already knew that something of this sorts was bound to happen in the near future as all the companies are on a spree to either hike the prices of the various voice and data packs they have been offering or have reduced the free minutes and data usages or even reduced the validity by a couple of days which has affected users a lot.