Airtel phases out international roaming packs; cuts base data rate in listed countries by 99%

Eyeing overseas travellers, Bharti Airtel has phased out its international mobile roaming schemes and introduced a new plan, World Pass, covering 184 countries, and slashed basic data rates by 99 per cent in the listed roaming nations, according to a company's statement and sources.

The company is allowing post-paid customers to shift to new plan without paying extra on their existing international roaming plans.

"The feedback that we have heard on international travel related concerns has compelled us to launch a defining proposition for our customers -- the Airtel World Pass.

"This offers our customers one pack for the globe, significantly greater value, allows them to control what they use on the app and allows for emergency data usage long after the pack allowance is over," Bharti Airtel Direct Consumer Business Shashwat Sharma said in a statement.

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The new postpaid plans under World Pass range between Rs 649 and Rs 14,999 with validity ranging from 1 to 365 days. The new pre-paid plans will cost between Rs 649 to Rs 2,997 with validity in the range of 1 to 365 days.

The company's website shows that it has slashed basic data rates in the countries covered under "World Pass" to Rs 1.5 per megabyte (MB), or Rs 1,536 per GB, in 119 countries like US, UK, Nepal, China, Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia etc, and to Rs 3 per MB, or Rs 3,072 per GB, in 65 countries like South Africa, Mauritius, Maldives, Mali, Egypt etc. The new rates reflect over 99 per cent reduction in standard basic data rates of international roaming (IR) packs.

The base data rate, which is charged when a customer has availed no plan, in IR packs of other countries is Rs 6.5 per 10 kilobyte or Rs 6.81 lakh per GB.

"I am certain our customers will benefit hugely from it as they travel the world, keeping their phones switched on, no matter where they are. As a matter of fact, our new plans offer significantly better value than travel or local sims in most countries." Sharma said.

A customer care executive of the company shared that Airtel customers who are having a valid IR pack can now switch to new plans through their Airtel Thanks App.

"If a post-paid customer on international roaming switches to the new scheme, he will be billed as per the new plan," the executive said.

The executive added that old plans are not available for recharge now and it will sunset once validity of the old plans availed by customers expires.