TRAI rules: Airtel attributes removal of data from its two plans to a website glitch

Airtel has issued an official statement regarding the introduction of two economical voice and SMS-only plans. These plans were in the news due to a technical glitch on Airtel's website.

Airtel's recent announcement regarding two of its recharge plans has been making headlines. According to various reports, the company launched two new voice and SMS-only plans in response to a directive from TRAI, which called on telecom operators to provide voice-only options for 2G subscribers. However, a technical glitch on Airtel's website temporarily displayed these plans without the accompanying data that was supposed to be included. This led many to believe that Airtel had rolled out more affordable recharge options as per TRAI guidelines. The company has since issued a clarification, explaining that this visibility issue was indeed a glitch, and the plans have now been taken down from the site. Here’s what transpired:

Airtel Rs 509 plan  

The Airtel Rs 509 plan featured a validity of 84 days, allowing users unlimited voice calling to any number across India. It also included free national roaming and provided 900 free SMS. Unfortunately, due to a glitch, the 6GB of data that was offered with this plan went invisible, leading many to speculate that Airtel had removed the data to create a voice-only option.

Airtel Rs 1,999 plan  

Similarly, Airtel's Rs 1,999 plan came with a lengthy validity of 365 days, offering unlimited voice calls to any number for the entire year. This plan also provided free national roaming and an impressive 3,600 free SMS. Like the Rs 509 plan, it had previously included 24GB of data, which was also not displayed due to the technical issue. 

Following this mishap, Airtel has now removed the plans from its website and confirmed that they will not be making a return, even with their prior benefits. Both of these plans originally included additional perks such as access to the Airtel Xstream App, membership in Apollo 24/7 Circle, and complimentary Hello Tunes.

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