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Skilled
Numerous talk time recharge options are available for prepaid and they claim to have lifetime validity. What does lifetime mean ? as long as the telco has a license to operate in your circle.
So long as you have enough balance which never expires and if that balance is sufficient you need not even do a recharge. You get incoming calls forever.
When i queried airtel on this point i got wildly varying answers. you need to do a recharge every 30/45/60 days or number will be barred etc. Looking on the net i found even more variables like having to do a minium amount of recharge every 3/6 months to keep the number active. Why does lifetime validity require to be kept active.
Looking at replies given by TSP (telecom service providers) in response to a deactivation consultation paper by TRAI back in Oct 2012, they say DOT in 2011 said new numbers will be allocated solely on the basis of active numbers. since churn rates are 5% per month number of inactive numbers increases and this puts pressure on getting new numbers. So they decided that 60 days of inactivity implies inactive number means deactivation means you lost your number.
So what does active mean. Airtel's response...
What was interesting is airtel does not consider recharging a sign of activity despite what their agents claim. incoming, outgoing calls , outgoing sms or data usage once every 60 days is the minimum required to maintain activity ie avoid deactivation. The replies by idea, reliance and tata are similar with only reliance including recharge as an option. The airtel prepaid application form also mentions the same criteria for activity, recharges are not mentioned at all. Comments by other TSP's on the deactivation consultation paper can be found here.
TRAI took their responses into consideratoin and came out with a regulation in Feb 2013 called the 6th amendment to consumer protection regulations. Where they increased the 60 day limit to 90 days and retained the activity critieria. They also said should any activity occur in this time period that the countdown timer resets again to 90 days. And no number will be deactivated so long as balance exceeds Rs.20. So if no activity telco can deduct Rs.20 after 90 days and the number is retained by providing a grace period.
This means if you are a dual sim user with sparing use of the second sim you can retain your number for not much. Course the telcos will send you sms saying you must do this or that or lose your number. At this point you have to decide whether you want to state trais regulation to them ie call their bluff or take the risk of inconvenience when they disconnect you (if at all). 90 days is a long time to go without any incoming or outgoing calls so most people might never get to this point.
I've found getting clear answers for a simple question to be a rather trying affair but TRAI's regulations and the telcos responses (official) are crystal clear.
So long as you have enough balance which never expires and if that balance is sufficient you need not even do a recharge. You get incoming calls forever.
When i queried airtel on this point i got wildly varying answers. you need to do a recharge every 30/45/60 days or number will be barred etc. Looking on the net i found even more variables like having to do a minium amount of recharge every 3/6 months to keep the number active. Why does lifetime validity require to be kept active.
Looking at replies given by TSP (telecom service providers) in response to a deactivation consultation paper by TRAI back in Oct 2012, they say DOT in 2011 said new numbers will be allocated solely on the basis of active numbers. since churn rates are 5% per month number of inactive numbers increases and this puts pressure on getting new numbers. So they decided that 60 days of inactivity implies inactive number means deactivation means you lost your number.
So what does active mean. Airtel's response...
Q2: Which (one or more) amongst the following should be included in the scope of activity
with regard to the criteria for deactivation of SIMs upon non-usage?
(i) Outgoing voice call
(ii) Incoming voice call
(iii) Outgoing video call
(iv) Incoming video call
(v) Outgoing SMS
(vi) Incoming SMS
(vii) Data transfer
(viii) Activation of a voucher
(ix) Switching the connection ‘ON’ by powering on the handset and SIM
(x) Any other
Bharti Airtel’s Response:
Any SIM would be considered as active / in-use if it is under the conditions mentioned under
S. Nos. (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) & (vii) above, i.e. outgoing voice call, incoming voice call, outgoing
video call, incoming video call, outgoing SMS and data transfer during the specified period and
will not be included for deactivation due to non-usage.
For point no (vi), incoming SMS does not constitute usage since these maybe received from
Telemarketers who are carrying out promotions soliciting commercial transaction. Further, no
usage is done by the customer in receiving an SMS. For point no (viii), i.e. activation of a
voucher also does not constitute usage and should not be considered as an activity. For point no
(ix), merely by inserting the SIM into the handset and keeping it VLR registered is not meeting
the criteria of usage.
What was interesting is airtel does not consider recharging a sign of activity despite what their agents claim. incoming, outgoing calls , outgoing sms or data usage once every 60 days is the minimum required to maintain activity ie avoid deactivation. The replies by idea, reliance and tata are similar with only reliance including recharge as an option. The airtel prepaid application form also mentions the same criteria for activity, recharges are not mentioned at all. Comments by other TSP's on the deactivation consultation paper can be found here.
TRAI took their responses into consideratoin and came out with a regulation in Feb 2013 called the 6th amendment to consumer protection regulations. Where they increased the 60 day limit to 90 days and retained the activity critieria. They also said should any activity occur in this time period that the countdown timer resets again to 90 days. And no number will be deactivated so long as balance exceeds Rs.20. So if no activity telco can deduct Rs.20 after 90 days and the number is retained by providing a grace period.
This means if you are a dual sim user with sparing use of the second sim you can retain your number for not much. Course the telcos will send you sms saying you must do this or that or lose your number. At this point you have to decide whether you want to state trais regulation to them ie call their bluff or take the risk of inconvenience when they disconnect you (if at all). 90 days is a long time to go without any incoming or outgoing calls so most people might never get to this point.
I've found getting clear answers for a simple question to be a rather trying affair but TRAI's regulations and the telcos responses (official) are crystal clear.
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