GSM mobile operators to slash promotional offers, free mins

NEW DELHI, INDIA: In what can only be termed as a set back to consumers, voice call tariffs are set to rise as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular announced a price hike on Wednesday.

Both Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular have increased their call tariff rates by nearly 100 per cent. While Bharti Airtel has doubled the call rates from Rs 1 per minute to Rs 2 per minute, Idea has also gone for a steep hike from 1.2 paise per second to 2 paise per second, says a report on Economic Times. Vodafone has also confirmed a hike.

In some cases, free minutes have been reduced by 10-25 per cent on the MRP of the pack, Bharti said. MRP of some Special Value Vouchers has been increased by Rs 5-15, the company added, according to a report on NDTV.

"This revision in prices is in line with these increasing costs. We are committed to enhance value for our customers through continued investments in network, technology, customer experience and life enriching services," Bharti Airtel said in a statement.