[Resolved]  Airtel — Unfair Usage Policy

Dear Sir,

I would like to congratulate TRAI on its efforts to publish this Consultation paper on Broadband QoS - "Bandwidth required for ISPs for better connectivity and improved quality of service". I really admire TRAI for its initiative, forethought and the enduring work for a better quality of telecom service in India despite apathy from several quarters including the government.

With this letter I would like to bring to your notice a controversial and unfair
decision of Airtel Broadband with subject to "Airtel Fair Usage Policy".
Airtel Fair Usage policy has become the latest nightmare for the customers of
Airtel Broadband.

"Airtel Fair Usage Policy" or AFUP is totally unfair on customers with Unlimited
broadband plans as Airtel has decided to cap all unlimited plans starting from 15GB for 256kbps and reducing the speed to 128kbps for further downloads. Unlimited plans cannot and should not have restrictions on either the promised speed or unlimited data.

As per information/emails received by customers from Airtel, the limit on unlimited plans are as follows:

128 kbps = 10 GB data limit per month - after that speed reduced to 64kbps
256 kbps = 15 GB data limit per month - after that speed reduced to 128kbps
384 kbps = 20 GB data limit per month - after that speed reduced to 192kbps
512 kbps = 25 GB data limit per month - after that speed reduced to 256kbps
1 Mbps = 50 GB data limit per month - after that speed reduced to 512kbps

Airtel users have confirmed that their speeds have been reduced to half of what their package promises.

They site the reasons as that of loss of speeds for other customers connected to the same node. Since some customers use the internet 24X7, the others are at a loss of speed. But isn't that a technical fault by the airtel. Why should the customers be penalized. The plans have been changed without permission and does not live up to what was promised . Aren't the customers being cheated this way? I would like to point out the fact that even if a customers uses his "unlimited" 256kbps plan for just 10 hours a day, his 15GB limit as mentioned above would be crossed in merely 13-15 days. Then what is the use of calling it an unlimited plan?

Once the unlimited broadband data is capped, it ceases to be an Unlimited plan. When the speed is reduced to less than the minimum 256kbps it ceases to be a TRAI defined broadband connection. Airtel in fact is violating the very
TRAI definition of broadband connection in India and this will be a very serious lapse by Airtel.

Airtel had merely suggested AFUP in its response to TRAI's consultation paper on "Bandwidth required for ISPs for better connectivity and improved quality of service". But now Airtel has gone ahead and implemented AFUP. This means that Airtel is enforcing data transfer limits on their supposedly unlimited plans without the consent of TRAI or its own customers. Does this not amount to cheating or fraud on its customers and in direct violation of TRAI's guidelines on broadband?

We have always believed Airtel to be different from other ISPs in India.They have always charged a premium and continue to do so for unlimited plans. Initially everything felt just right with Airtel Broadband. But things are apparently changing for the worse. Only TRAI can protect consumer interests from the wrath of such mind numbing decisions that put barriers in nascent growth of broadband in India.

Lots of Airtel's users have posted their grievances in various forums and blogs.

You can see story unfolding here :-


I sincerely request you to consider this letter as a complaint against unjust Airtel Fair Usage Policy and/or any other ISP in India which indulges in putting barriers in broadband speed/data caps and thus hindering the growth of broadband in India.

I would like TRAI to investigate the reasons behind implementation of such a policy by Airtel that hinders growth and that is contrary to TRAI's guidelines.

I look forward to the speedy resolution of this problem and I sincerely hope that you will do the needful and ensure the interests of telecom consumers in India are safeguarded.

regards