Airtel has reduced the incoming voice call validity for Airtel prepaid users without an active plan. The validity was earlier 15 days, but it has now been reduced to seven days, according to a report. Airtel brought an end to lifetime free incoming calls plan last year and replaced some of its existing recharge options with 'minimum ARPU' packs, calling them ‘Smart Recharges'. Several telecom operators are taking this step to improve their Average Revenue Per User (ARPUs) and reduce the liability of non-paying subscribers from their subscriber base.
Telecom Talk reports that Airtel has revised its incoming voice call validity for prepaid users without an active plan. If a prepaid user's plan has expired, Airtel earlier allowed the user to get incoming calls for 15 days from expiry, after which incoming calls were barred till the user recharges to a plan. Now, that limit has been reduced to seven days, the report states. If an Airtel user fails to recharge upon expiry of validity, and is not on any active plan, outgoing calls would immediately be barred and the income calls will stop after seven days.
To offer some solace to users benefitting from the lifetime free incoming calls plan, Airtel has introduced a slew of Smart Recharge plans since last year that allow users to make voice calls and receive incoming calls as well. These plans are priced from as low as Rs. 23 and go up to Rs. 245. The Rs. 23, Rs 35, and Rs. 65 prepaid plans offer 28 days validity, while the Rs. 145 plan offers 42 days validity, and the Rs. 245 plan offers 84 days validity.
These plans come with minimum benefits, focussing more on validity; and the subscribers will have to pay additional money if they want more data, talk time etc. A recent report suggests that Airtel could lose up to 70 million subscribers in its ongoing battle to raise its average revenue per user (ARPU) ever since the entry of Reliance Jio. Airtel is facing a rapid decline in its ARPU due to a large number of inactive connections, and this new reduced seven days incoming calls validity after expiry looks to enforce subscribers to recharge and help maintain ARPU.
FAQs
Following the ARPU approach, Airtel moves to reduce the incoming validity after prepaid plan expiry to seven days, reported TelecomTalk. This means that Airtel prepaid users will not be able to receive incoming voice calls seven days after the validity of their tariff packs expires.
Does Airtel stop incoming calls after plan expired? ›
They simply debarr your number as soon as your pack expires. After one week, Incoming also stops. Number gets deactivated anytime after 90 days minimum.
Does Airtel stop incoming calls if not recharged? ›
The mobile connection will be deactivated if there is no voice/ video call (outgoing or incoming) or an outgoing SMS or a data session (upload or download) or usage of Value Added Services, for a continuous period of 90 days and in case the main account balance is less than Rs.
How can I keep incoming call active in Airtel? ›
To resume incoming and outgoing calls on Airtel, you can follow these steps: Recharge your Airtel prepaid plan: If your mobile recharge plan has exhausted, you will need to recharge your Airtel prepaid plan to activate incoming and outgoing calls.
Why Airtel stop incoming calls? ›
if you are not receiving incoming calls, it means that your service validity has expired. You need to recharge with a smart recharge or unlimited plan. To activate incoming calls in Airtel you need to recharge with a plan having service validity. The minimum recharge plan with service validity costs Rs.
How many days will I get incoming calls without recharge? ›
During this period, you may still receive incoming calls, but outgoing services will be deactivated. If no recharge is done within these 90 days, the number might get disconnected. It's always a good idea to keep a minimum balance or do a small recharge to maintain the SIM's active status.
Will Airtel cut incoming calls? ›
You will loose the incoming within 7-14 days of non-recharge. Incoming means both calls and SMS. You won't even receive a single SMS too. As per TRAI rules, your number may be permanently deactivated within 90 days but again, that depends on circle to circle.
How long the Airtel SIM gets deactivated without recharge? ›
What is the duration before an Airtel SIM gets deactivated if not recharged? If you don't recharge your Airtel SIM, it will be deactivated after a period of non-usage for about 3 months or 90 days [1].
How can I keep my SIM active without recharge? ›
There is no way that a SIM can be kept without recharging & receive OTP's forever. The Minimum you need to spend is ₹ 99/15 days+3 Days Free Incoming is in Vi™ as on 12–April–2024. Switch to a provider where there is no expiry date.
Will my number get deactivated if I don't recharge? ›
If you do not recharge after the validity of your existing recharge is over, you will not be able to make outgoing calls and messages. If you do not do any recharge in 90 days, your number might get disconnected.
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What is the lowest recharge to keep Airtel SIM active? ›
What is the minimum recharge in Airtel to keep number active? To keep your Airtel SIM card active, you need to do a recharge of at least Rs. 45.
How can I keep my Airtel SIM active without recharge? ›
Reach out to the Airtel call centre
You can call on 121 if you are in India, or 99100-99100 (toll-free) if you are outside the country, in order to keep your Airtel SIM card active.
Why incoming calls are disconnected automatically? ›
You're too far from a cell tower. Weak signals due to distance are one of the biggest causes of dropped calls. The further you travel from a cell phone tower, the weaker the signal. And the weaker the signal, the more likely you are to experience a dropped call.
Why are incoming calls barred? ›
Incoming Call Barring
Users can choose to block incoming calls from specific numbers, anonymous callers, or calls with hidden caller IDs. This is particularly useful for avoiding unwanted or nuisance calls.
How long does Airtel SIM stay active without recharge? ›
Yes, As per TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) rules, if a prepaid mobile connection of Airtel is inactive for a continuous period of 90 days, the telecom operator is allowed to deactivate the connection. This means that if you don't recharge your Airtel number for 90 days, it may get blocked.
What happens to expired data on Airtel? ›
Airtel will automatically add the unused data to the data allowance for the next month. Meanwhile, you can sit back and enjoy the incredibly fast postpaid internet on your phone, absolutely worry free. Hence, if you were thinking 'does Airtel rollover data', then all your doubts are now answered.
