Bharti Airtel raises prepaid mobile tariffs by 20-25%; says, will help 5G rollout, improve network, grow ARPU

Bharti Airtel will increase prepaid mobile tariffs by 20-25% starting 26 November 2021, the telecom company said in a statement on Monday morning. Bharti Airtel said that the move to increase prices is aimed at increasing the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of the telco to enable substantial investments in the network as it plans 5G roll out in India. “Bharti Airtel has always maintained that the mobile Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) needs to be at Rs 200 and ultimately at Rs 300, so as to provide a reasonable return on capital that allows for a financially healthy business model,” the company said. Bharti Airtel currently has an ARPU of Rs 153. Under the new tariff plan, Airtel’s 28-day prepaid package with unlimited calling, 100 SMS per day, and 2 GB data will now cost Rs 179, up from Rs 149.