A Bharti Airtel free roaming pack has been announced just recently for 5 states in India, though it only mentions that the scheme is for prepaid users in Delhi. So what allows the company to hint that the plan is valid for up to 5 states in the country?
For starters, the scheme for those residing in the nation’s capital, permits customers to move between Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar without incurring any roaming charges. It would be good to note that those traveling to Kolkata cannot take advantage of the plan though. Also, this deal only covers incoming calls, so the relevant charges will still apply to outgoing calls made when the subscriber is not in Delhi.
But there are a few strings attached to this offer. When users avail of a recharge amounting to Rs. 21, the deal is kicked off for a limited time period of 30 days only. Outgoing calls will cost Rs. 1.50 per second and this rate is applicable when customers pick up calls after the said month-long limit. There’s no relief on the data usage, international calling or messaging charges front.
The introduction of this pack by the service provider comes soon after the Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal, of the country implied that consumers could be looking at not having to shell out any extra change on calls while crossing state borders by October this year. Of course, this does not bode well for network operators that undoubtedly earn a lot from roaming fees.
So the free roaming pack is something subscribers may consider an interesting option now. But once the new laws are called into action, it may just be something everyone feels entitled to. The company in question currently offers 2G, 3G and 4G services in the nation.