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-   -   Telcos block outgoing SMS from validity plans (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifting-gears/239780-telcos-block-outgoing-sms-validity-plans.html)

Since telcos kept increasing tariffs, many of us who have two mobile numbers have been retaining one of the numbers by recharging it with the minimum possible amount. In the past few weeks, I came across complaints about the removal of outgoing SMS facilities from these base packs. And now it is official as "No outgoing SMS" is openly published by Vi.


The situation is no different with Airtel. Also, note the increase in entry-level tariff.


With this change, those with just the validity plans will now be forced to recharge an unlimited plan usually costs upward of ₹100 just to send text messages. And those plans again come with limited validity. SMS packs like earlier could be an option but providers barely offer pure SMS packs these days - it's mostly a combo with a focus on data. Imagine having to send just one SMS for some kind of validation - bank app registration, UPI activation etc. or even porting out and having to recharge ₹100+ when the actual SMS cost incurred by telco is in few paisas. All this when you already have certain validity left with Talktime balance.

Since postpaid tariffs were also increased last week, we can only expect other prepaid plan prices to go up anytime soon. Hope they give advance notice of few days like last time so that people could lock in current tariffs for one more year by queuing recharges.

Possible resolution - Port to BSNL which offers a yearly plan at ₹397 with freebies like unlimited calls, SMS for the first 60 days followed by base tariffs for the rest of the validity period.

Not sure how many subscribers use these plans. Most people use, and expect Whatsapp, which will need bigger plans.

More than this, Airtel recently cancelled their 799 postpaid family plan and moved the subscribers to the 999 postpaid family plan. A neat 223 per month per plan to their kitty. They defend their decision by saying data roll-over upto 200gb. Most of the customers of the 799 plan will end up having this roll-over quantity filled up before too long. I think this was a bigger steal for them than that with the smaller prepaid plan.

With most people migrating to wsapp, SMS usage is very less these days. It will mostly be used as a second number which needs to be active. These people may not mind paying 30Rs. more per month.

Only useful service that SMS does these days is send you OTP and helps with 2FA, otherwise all I receive is spam, and I don't even remember when was the last time I sent SMS to someone.

Now that mobile connections are essential services and needed for almost everything, all incoming and at least all toll-free outgoing should be made free and available to all indefinitely irrespective of their account validity. Outgoing SMS (doesn't seem toll-free) may be needed for those using UPI apps which send one SMS every time you register in an app. Other than that, I frequently send SMSes to 1909 for reporting spam callers who contact me despite me being registered on TRAI DND registry.

When Jio stormed the market with its value-for-money plans, every other telco started giving more for less then for gaining more customers. Now they are trying to claw back their lost revenue, most recently with the increase of tariffs back in 2019 end, like a cartel! Somehow I feel, the costs will rise to the early 2000s level very soon. They are trying to raise the average revenue per user (ARPU) higher than before, even at the risk of losing low paying customers, but this increase is definitely going to affect the poorer sections of the society, especially in this pandemic that is causing uncertainty in incomes.

I know a couple of families where the husbands stay far from their wives at homes to earn minimum wage and keep their wives' phones on minimum possible plans for receiving incoming calls only. They do struggle with these rising tariffs. BSNL still is comparatively cheaper for them.:sadface

But I pity Vodafone Idea. They keep losing customers due to poor network as per almost every existing or prior Vodafone user in my social circle (Idea is better), do little to improve the network and yet keep raising prices. :Frustrati

I wonder if this is Google's doing.

Source 1 and Source 2

EDIT - Do you know if RCS is regulated by TRAI ?

Actually it costs them zero.

https://www.wired.com/2008/12/text-messages-c/

Mind you, this article is from 2008. By now the numbers would have increased.

The competition in Indian telecom sector is dead and gone, now we are in a duopoly situation. One can expect such steep rises in tariff every other quarter.
The end game is both Jio and Airtel will be filling up their respective coffers and consumer’s will not have not a choice but to pay.

This is why we need competition, monopoly's always end up bad for the consumer. I hate to say this but BSNL will be the only one with budget plans which our labour class uses monthly.

The use of outgoing SMS is more common than we think. Every time, I have to add an account via UPI or register some banking apps, it will mandatorily send outgoing SMS. With outgoing SMS blocked, the users will no longer be able to register UPI apps if those numbers are tied to their minimal use number.

It looks like we are back to age when mobile phones were introduced, when outgoing SMS were charged. Free outgoing SMS was such a draw at that time to switch providers. Now, they have silently re-introduced it. It leaves such a bad aftertaste.

Unfortunately, this is not the scenario where telcos will charge you for each SMS. This is the case where outgoing SMS is completely disabled unless you opt for an sms plan or for one of their unlimited plans. You cannot send an sms even after having 100 Rupees balance in your account.

A bit of background. I currently have a Jio sim and an older Vi sim.

Long ago, I had only a Vodafone sim. When Jio came in, Vodafone also introduced 1GB/day data plans and I singed up for those Vodafone plans.

The difference between the Jio plan and the Vodafone plan was - post your 1gb limit exhaustion, Jio will throttle the speeds while Vodafone will charge you from your balance.
It took me few days to figure this out and Vodafone customer care told me there is no option to control the balance deduction and I have to precisely track my data usage.

Youtube and hotstar cricket matches were catching up on me during that period and by the time an sms would come notifying that 1GB data has exhausted, my usage would have sipped in to my main balance. Or, I should stop internet usage when I get the 80% or 90% usage messages.
This felt like a behind the back move to charge me.

This triggered me - Vodafone lost their monthly business from me because of their attempt to fleece me and I bought a new Jio sim to try out. I should have instead ported my Vodafone sim to Jio, but apprehensions on network coverage made me buy a new one.
And frankly, jio (up until now) is clear on their charges, on plans available and provide decent to great network.

So now I have 2 sims with Jio one being the primary call sim. And Vodafone being the one linked to all accounts.
This new change by telcos impacts me.

For Vi -
A simple 28 days validity plan currently costs 49 INR. No outgoing SMS. Incoming works, they were kind here.
A plan with SMS enabled costs 128 INR(28 days validity) - this is just to enable outgoing SMS, each SMS will be charged additionally.
Another plan is 129INR (24 days validity), which has 300 free SMS bundled.

With the 49INR pack, inspite of having main balance-
You cannot initiate sms to activate/add UPI accounts.
You cannot initiate even the MNP porting SMS.

Customer care told me that it is same with all the companies and I have to take the 128/129 plan if I want to send an SMS. I did not find an option to complain to TRAI. I feel like someone is trying to charge me behind my back again.


I am planning to take that SMS plan and initiate the porting message, no more Vi after 10 years of association. I actually think Vi wants me to move away.
Looks like it will be BSNL for the immediate future. Thinking of moving back to single sim experience too.

There is a solution to prevent this deduction from the main balance. One has to send an SMS to 1925 with the keyword STOP. To start the data service, the SMS would be START. With this, charges will not be deducted after the data pack quota expires. [Source]

Charging for enabling Outgoing SMS even if there is a validity is outrageous. We are going to see old days again when monthly mobile bills used to be in thousands.


HDFC Payzapp app wants to verify the SIM almost everyone I login and send an SMS.

TRAI has apparently found these restrictions unreasonable and has issued notices to telecom companies now [Source]

I don’t know what some folks and the TRAI are smoking. The Government and the Supreme Court act in concert to impose a ₹50,000 cr penalty on Vodafone Idea. Just the interest plus EMI on that amounts to ₹10,000 cr a year. With 30 cr subs and falling, they need ₹333 per sub per year just to pay that or ₹30 per sub per month (and this is net of GST and license fees). So they have no choice but to raise tariffs to survive. Frankly, the telecom industry in India has destroyed more value for shareholders than any other industry - at least in terms of free cash flow generation. Bharti and Jio have a market value - based on the hope that one day, they will make money. The historical record over the last 27 years does not justify that hope - but perhaps this time it will be different. But the only way they will make money is by raising tariffs - be prepared for a 2x increase in average costs.