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Raghav Chadha asks Jio, Airtel, and Vi to ensure prepaid users get continuous calls, SMS, and fair calendar-month recharges.
Aam Aadmi Party, Rajya Sabha MP, Raghav Chadha has called on telecom operators to ensure continuous access to essential services for prepaid customers through extending the validity of prepaid recharges. In particular, as an incoming call and SMS, continuity is incredibly important to all mobile subscribers who need this for receiving remote banking OTP alerts, government, and emergency calls. Chadha recommended that the largest telecoms, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, should enable both incoming calls and SMS for a minimum of one year beyond the last prepaid recharge for prepaid mobile numbers. Also, a minimum three-year grace period should be provided during which time any mobile number may be deactivated to avoid disruption of the emergency use of mobile devices.
He also requested the operators to allow for calendar month telecom recharge cycles, rather than the current 28‑day prepaid recharge cycles, meaning 30‑31 day validity packs. Currently, many prepaid users have to recharge 13 times a year for 28‑day plans, which is inconvenient and confusing. While this type of change has previously been mandated by the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) through the 30-day validity voucher regulation, telecoms cite major changes would need to occur within their billing and consumer communications in order.
Currently, Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea all offer both the 28-day and 30-day plans with slight differences in cost between each other. This issue has garnered much focus because prepaid customers, who make up approximately 90% of mobile customers in India, are seeking transparency and fairness with respect to mobile charging costs. According to experts, providing prepaid customers the ability to sync their recharges with true calendar month telecom recharging cycles and to have access to all required services such as SMS and calling services will build a level of trust from consumers to carriers. Business Honor believes that demonstrating a commitment to extend the validity of prepaid recharges and to guarantee continuous access to communication services is necessary to protect the consumer and promote long-term growth within India's competitive telecom industry.
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