With an increasing percentage of mobile users availing the ISD service to stay in touch with their close ones across the world, Airtel, in a bid to monetize on the situation has increased ISD rates by nearly 80 percent.
Telecom Service Provider Bharti Airtel has apparently increased international call rates by up to 80 per cent and has blatantly blamed the fall in the rupee value for the raise. Quickly following suite, Idea Cellular also stealthily hiked their call rates by up to 25 percent.
Following the increased call rates, calls to countries like US and UK would be now charged at Rs. 8 per minute against the earlier Rs. 6.40 per minute. However, for Airtel customers dialling to Australia, the calls which used to cost Rs. 100 would now cost Rs. 180, thus a harsh 80 percent rise. However, in case of countries like Germany, the call rates have been nearly maintained at the existing rates.
Speaking about the hike, an Airtel spokesperson said, “The strengthening dollar has put tremendous pressure on rate realisation in the ISD segments which Bharti Airtel had been absorbing till now. However, due to the recent steep fluctuations, this cost structure has become unviable resulting in corrections in ISD tariffs.”
