BSNL, MTNL, Airtel Extend Prepaid Validity to Comply With TRAI Directive

With people struggling to recharge their prepaid mobile connections amid the coronavirus lockdown, BSNL, MTNL and Airtel have extended the validity of their prepaid packs. The decision is in line with TRAI'south latest directive that made it obligatory for telecom operators to ensure uninterrupted services for all users during the lockdown menstruum. While the State-run companies are extending the validity to April 20, Airtel is only extending it to April 17.

All three companies will also credit an additional Rs. 10 worth of talk-time for customers who run out of balance and then as to help them stay connected during this hour of crunch. While BSNL and MTNL have already started notifying its users about the scheme, Airtel says it volition commencement rolling out these benefits in the adjacent 48 hours. In a printing release on Tuesday, the company said that its decision volition benefit up to eighty one thousand thousand 'under-privileged' subscribers.

Union telecom government minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, took to Twitter on Mon to announce that BSNL and MTNL will offering extended connectivity during the lockdown period, saying that it will "enable poor people to make calls for aid fifty-fifty if they don't take any balance left".

Now @BSNLCorporate & @MTNLOfficial will extend validity period of their pre-paid mobiles upto xx April 2020 & provide ₹10 of boosted talk time fifty-fifty afterward zero residue.
This will enable poor people make calls for assistance even if they don't take any balance left.#21daysLockdown

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) March 30, 2020

The validity extension is office of the companies' efforts to comply with TRAI'south new directive that states: "You (telecom companies) are required to take necessary steps as deemed fit including extending the validity menses to ensure that all prepaid subscribers tin savour uninterrupted services during the period of lockdown". The regulator also sought details from all telecom operators in the country almost the steps they're taking to ensure availability of uninterrupted services during the next few weeks.