HIGHLIGHTS

• Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea now do not offer free bundled SMS on their plans priced below Rs 100.
• Users will have to opt for higher plans to get bundled SMS, crucial for several online services like UPI and number activation.
• The move is likely to be followed by all telecom operators in the coming months.

Prepaid users in India will no longer receive SMS benefits with low-cost prepaid recharge packs. The decision, by telecom operators including Vodafone Idea (Vi), Jio, Airtel and others, brings the changes to prepaid recharge packs priced under Rs 100. This is a massive strategy move by major telecom companies lately, and it’s worth noting that the development isn’t new.

Prior to the recent change, telecom operators used to offer a bundled package of call time, SMS, and data for internet usage with their entry-level packages. The new move will now remove the bundled SMS offering from this lot.

The new practice can be seen across telecom services in India. We were able to spot it in entry-level recharge packages of Vodafone Idea, Airtel and Jio. All plans under Rs 100 now do not mention SMS as one of the offerings. While Airtel and Jio have only a few plans under Rs 100, Vodafone Idea offers many prepaid recharge plans for their subscribers. But, none offers bundled SMSes. Here’s the proof below.

Airtel recently updated its lowest smart prepaid recharge plan for validity that now starts at Rs 79. In addition, it offers customers Rs 64 talktime and 200MB data for 28 days. However, the plan clearly states that no outgoing SMS bundled means users will have to pay for each text message they do.

Jio, for instance, offers a Rs 98 prepaid recharge plan that gives users 1.5GB of data for a total of 14 days. In addition, the plan offers unlimited voice callings and subscriptions to several Jio powered services. There is, however, no SMS option available with this plan.

Similarly, Vi has an entry-level prepaid recharge plan of Rs 49 that offers 100MB data and Rs 38 talk time for a total of 28 days. Airtel’s lowest-priced plan comes with Rs 64 talktime with and 200MB data for 28 days. None of the two packages offers SMS as an option now.

No bundled SMS: The new telecom tactic

The discontinued SMS offerings in recharge plans will understandably affect customers who used to opt for these low-cost recharges. Many of the online services today are often initiated by verification SMS. With no SMS option in entry-level plans, users will have to opt for a higher cost recharge plan than these.

It is clear to see that the telecom majors are eyeing to increase their average revenue per user or ARPU through the move. While SMS is a basic offering that everyone wants as part of their plans, removing them from entry-level packages will ultimately force people to buy a higher plan.

Note that the removal of bundled SMS from these plans is not a new move. As a report by Gadgets 360 points out, Jio first made the switch back in May this year. Airtel and Vi (Vodafone Idea) followed the decision in the coming months.

It is likely that all telecom operators will eventually follow the lead for upscaling their revenue in the country. However, as for users who were accustomed to such plans, it is advised to be careful about their SMS usage and choose their recharge plans accordingly