Mobile recharge plans to go high by 10-12 per cent from this December, here’s why
Mobile recharge costs in India may rise by 10-12% by year end as active user surge, telecoms to push tiered pricing with growing 5G use. Read details here
Mobile phone users in India may soon have to pay more for their recharge plans, with telecom companies reportedly planning another round of tariff hikes by the end of the year.
According to the reports, this move is driven by a steady rise in the number of active mobile users for the fifth consecutive month, giving a reason to the telecom operator to raise tariffs once more.
Experts estimate that mobile bills could go up by 10-12% by December 2025. This would be the second significant hike after July 2025, when major telecom operators increased their base plan prices by 11-23%, affecting millions of subscribers across the country.
This time around, the price rise may not just be about higher plan costs. Telecom companies are likely to introduce tiered pricing structures, where basic plans will come with smaller data allowances.
This means that while the starting price may still look affordable, customers who use more data will end up paying extra for top-up packs or upgraded plans.
The upcoming changes are also expected to align with the expansion of 5G services. As fast network roll out nationwide, operators may experiment with different pricing based on factors like data speed, total usage or even peak usage times.
In May, the total subscribers in India reached to its highest level in more than two years with active user nearing 1.08 billion. Reliance Jio Infocomm gained about 5.5 million active users in just one month, boosting its market share to 53 %. Bharat Airtel added another 1.3 million active users, while Vodafone continued to lose customers.
