Tag Archives: Airtel

Mobile Network

How to use Airtel Call Me Back Service in Case of Low Balance

One of the good thing about top mobile operators are, they offer many value added services which makes life easier for us. India’s most popular cellular network, Airtel introduced a new service call Call me Back, which is a unique free VAS for Airtel customers.

What would you do when you have low balance in your Airtel Pre-paid connection and you need to talk to another Airtel customer urgently?  In most of the scenario, you would simply give a missed call and wait for the customer to call you back. Or you would just make a call and talk till the time your last few talk time is finished.

Airtel Call me Back Service:

Airtel Call me back service is a newly added feature for Airtel customers, which helps you to get a call back from another Airtel customer without paying anything. This service works from one Airtel number to another and here I will explain how to use this feature.

Airtel call me back service will let you send a free SMS to another Airtel customer when your balance is low. Suppose you need to get a call from another Airtel (Pre paid or Post-paid) customer in case of insufficient balance, you can send an SMS to 121 and 121 service will send an SMS to another user saying “Please Call me back, Thank you”

All you need to do is, send an SMS to 121 in following format:

Just SMS writing CALL <space> <airtel mobile number you want to speak to .> and send it to 121.

Ex: CALL 8800980000

Another user will get an SMS from your number saying “Please Call me Back, Thank you”.

This service is free and when another user will call you, he will be charged according to his calling plans. For any Airtel Pre-paid customer, this is one very useful service and specially when you are out of balance and need to make any urgent call. Specially, when you are travelling and out of balance, you can always take advantage of this service and notify your friends or family member using “Call me back” and ask them to recharge your account.

Do remember:

  • This service will work only when your Pre-paid mobile balance is less than Rs. 1
  • You can use this service 3 times a day.

Go ahead and try out Airtel Call me back feature and let me know what you think about this latest addition from Airtel. Also, let me know what other free VAS, you like from Airtel?

Mobile Network

How to Activate Airtel Speed on Demand Service

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When it comes to broadband in India, there are few key players which rules Indian broadband backbone. Airtel and MTNL/BSNL has widest coverage in terms of coverage.

I have been using Airtel broadband connection from last 5 years and I always have love and hate relation with them. Despite of their quality tech support, I hate their customer service which is below average and I hate their FUP.

FUP is Fair usage policy which limits your unlimited broadband connection to a limit and when you finish that bandwidth threshold, your broadband speed will be revise to 256Kbps.  I’m using Airtel broadband 1799 Plan which gives me 4 MBPS speed and FUP limit of 50Gb. Being a power user, I consume my 50Gb limit by 15th day of every month and I had to rely on my 3.1 MBPs Tata photon+. Though Problem with Tata Photon+ is, speed is consistent and at times I can’t completely rely on Tata photon+.

Airtel Speed on Demand service:

Here I’m talking about Airtel Speed on demand service, which will let you increase your speed to 512 kbps, 1 mbps or 2mbps for one hour by paying nominal charge.

Here is how Airtel charges for Speed on demand service:

Airtel-Speed-on-demand

So now, when ever I have an important video meeting or important Freelancing work, I usually activate the speed on demand service by Airtel and enjoy high bandwidth for 1 hour. You can always reactivate this service instantly.

To activate Airtel speed on demand service, Go to their page and select your city. You might need to login to your Airtel account to activate this service. It will show you your Airtel DSL id and you can select the speed which you want to activate and it will be activated instantly for one hour.

It will also ask you if you wish to renew Speed on demand ( Airtel SOD) service after 1 hour and you can renew it or it will be deactivated automatically after one hour.

Here is a screenshot of Airtel SOD service running while writing this post:

airtel-activated-speed-on-demand-service

 

I would say, Airtel offering nominal charge but they might like to bring their 512 kbps plan to single digit to make this service more popular.

Have you ever used Airtel Speed on demand service? How’s your experience with Airtel broadband service?

Press Release

Airtel Launched 4G Service in Kolkata, India

Airtel  today launched India’s first 4G service in Kolkata. Airtel has launched the service on a state-of-the-art network based on TD-LTE, making India one of the first countries in the world to commercially deploy this cutting-edge technology. With this launch, India joins the most advanced telecom markets in the world and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s telecom success story.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel said, “Today’s launch is a major milestone for India and Airtel. Over the past 15 years Airtel has been at the forefront of India’s telecom revolution and has set the technology trends in India by aligning with the global standards. We are delighted to now provide leadership in setting the technology standard for 4G services in India by introducing the cutting edge TD-LTE. We are confident that others will follow in this direction and participate in our pioneering effort of making TD-LTE the defacto 4G standard in India.  I would like to thank all our stakeholders in helping us fulfill the Government’s vision of Broadband on Demand, outlined by the Hon’ble Telecom Minister. I would also like to thank the Government of West Bengal for their support and cooperation that has made this launch possible and once again reiterate our commitment to participate in the development of the state.”

Plan Pricing

 

Plan name

Rentals

Free usage quota

Charge after quota

Speed after quota completion

(INR)

(GB)

(INR)

(kbps)

Break free

999

6

Nil

128

Break free max

1399

9

Nil

128

Break free Ultra

1999

18

Nil

128

 

  1. Above plans are available in Prepaid and Postpaid
  2. In case of Postpaid , tax is over and above the MRP
  3. In case of Postpaid, the tax is included in MRP

 

Introductory Offer ( 60 days )

  • On the Rs.999 postpaid plan , customer will get a money-back for a value equivalent of onemonth’s rent, spread over first 6 bill cycles.
    • Customers will get a bill discount of Rs.167/bill for 6 bills.
    • On the Rs.1399 and Rs.1999 postpaid plans , customer will get a money-back for a value equivalent of twomonth’s rent, spread over first 6 bill cycles.
      • Customers will get a bill discount of Rs.466/ bill for 6 bills in case of Rs.1399 plan , and Rs.666 / bill for 6 bills in case of Rs.1999 plan

Device Pricing

 

Device

MRP (In Rs)

Indoor CPE with wi-fi

7750

4G Multi Mode Dongle

7999

Airtel 4G , besides offering rich content, will allow superfast access to High Definition (HD) video streaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and much more. It will also help in bridging the digital divide and add to economic growth in rural areas by enhancing the reach of e-governance, e-health and e-education services.

In 2010, Airtel had successfully bid for BWA license spectrum in Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai) circles. It is currently working towards rolling out state-of-the-art networks in circles other than Kolkata.

Tips and Tricks

How to Configure Belkin N150 Modem router with Airtel Broadband Connection

Just not we finished publishing unboxing pictures of Belkin N150 wireless modem-router and here is a quick guide for those who are trying to configure their Belkin N150 modem-router with Airtel broadband connection.

I bought this device from Thailand and it comes with a handy template which shows the settings of popular broadband connection in most of Asian countries, so you can use the same guide to configure it for Reliance, BSNL or MTNL connection too.

Here is an image for your reference, so if you configuring router-modem for BSNL, Reliance or MTNL connection, it would be handy for you.

Indian-broadband-Router-Settings

Getting started with Belkin N150 Modem-Router With Airtel Broadband connection:

Airtel Broadband settings:

You need to have your broadband login and password. Login is usually your landline number with STD code followed by [email protected] For ex: [email protected]

And your password would be: your account number. Which you can get it from your Airtel broadband bill at the top. You can also get your account number by login into your current Airtel modem by typing: 192.168.1.1 in your web browser field, and try login in with default username and password, i.e:

  • username: admin
  • password: password

If you have forgotten your Airtel modem password, you can try password as your account number which can be retrieved from your Airtel broadband bill.

Apart from this, there are 3 settings which you need to remember:

  • Connection type: PPP0E
  • VPI/VCI: 1/32

Connecting your Belkin router:

Connect your Belkin modem-router with power connector and in ADSL line, plug in your Airtel ADSL cable.

Belkin Wireless-Modem-Router-Images (6)

Now, you can either connect to router from laptop using Wi-Fi or by Lan cable. I simply connected using Lan cable, by default it picked the I.P from DHCP.

Setting up Airtel broadband:

Now, open 192.168.2.1 in your web browser, it will prompt for password, and if you have not changed your Belkin router password, simply hit next.

On the next field, it will ask you to enter the connection type as shown in below image, select PPP0E and click Next:

1

Enter your Airtel broadband credentials, as I have mentioned above. So your final output would look something like this:

Belkin-Airtel-Config

Click on Next/Save and it will restart your router. It might take 60 seconds, so be patient. Once your router is restarted, the light on your modem-router will turn green and it indicates that you are connected to internet.

Alternatively, Airtel also suggest you to add the DNS field manually, though I leave it as default and use Automatically from ISP. Though if you wish to add Airtel DNS, you can add these DNS:

202.56.215.54
202.56.215.55

Airtel DNS

Now, enjoy your new modem-router configured with Airtel broadband connection. Do let us know if you have any questions setting up Airtel broadband connection, with Belkin router.

Mobile Network

Airtel Launches Movie on Demand Service: Partnered with BigFlix

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Airtel broadband brought another landmark in Indian broadband service by launching movies on demand service. Airtel broadband partnered with Bigflix to bring over 500 movies under movies on demand service.

This is going to be a paid service by Airtel and by paying monthly subscription charge of  INR 229/month, you will get unlimited access to 500+ movies, 100 TV shows, 100 trailers and 100 music videos.

airtel-movies-on-demand-service

The best part about this service is streaming movies wont be counted under your bandwidth quota.  Though there is an exceptional for Punjab Airtel broadband users.

 

How to Subscribe to Airtel movies on demand service?

In order to subscribe to Airtel movies on demand service, you can directly register on official site, you can also call 1800 200 3101 OR SMS “movie” to 53636

This collection of 500 movies includes regional and bollywood movies. Though I expect them to add Hollywood movies too in this service. Airtel should also consider adding more packages into this service. An yearly package would be nice. For now, I believe this INR 229/month is little high, considering only 500 movies.   More over this is one of it’s type service in India and people will be benefited with this service.

Do let us know if you are planning to subscribe to this service or if you are using this service from Airtel movies, do let us know your feedback.

Facebook

Airtel Launches USSD Based Facebook Service in India

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You must be familiar with Facebook’s notification service on your mobile device that will not cost you anything. Recently Airtel India, launched another new service to help feed your Facebook addiction through your mobile device. Usually people don’t update Facebook statuses, comment or send messages because it charges them, but now Airtel has come out with a plan that will let you do it all for just Rs.1.

airtel-facebook-logos

Airtel has launched the Worlds first USSD based Facebook service that lets users in India to update their Facebook status messages and much more without using GPRS or 3G. You can update your status for free, but if you want to check your notifications, like/comment on photos, statuses, read messages, reply and others then it’ll charge you Rs.1 for an entire day. That’s 30 INR a month for unlimited access of Facebook from any mobile device using Airtel connection.

We just received the official Press Release Statement from Airtel earlier today saying,

Do you miss keeping in touch with family and friends on Facebook, simply because you don’t access internet on your mobile phone? Your favourite social network is all set to be just the press of a button away.  India’s leading telecommunications company, Bharti Airtel announced that starting today, its 150 million plus customers in India can now simply dial *325# (and “*fbk#” for non-qwerty mobile handsets) to access Facebook – without subscribing to data plans. To deliver this, Airtel has launched the world’s first USSD-based service innovation that will allow its mobile customers to update their Facebook status messages, view / comment on / ‘Like’ news feed, post on friends’ walls, find / add friends, confirm friend requests, view notifications and much more without using the internet or activating GPRS capabilities.

How to update Facebook Status on Airtel Network for Free

Using this new USSD(Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based service to update your Facebook Status on Airtel Network is really very simple and quick. To get it working follow these steps:

  • Dial *325# from your mobile device.
  • Once done you’ll get the notification asking you to enter the Facebook Username and Password.

Facebook USSD Service Airtel

  • You should keep in mind that when you enter your username, for example [email protected], it should be entered in the following way. name at mail.com !! This is important.
  • After entering your password it’ll show a Menu with some Facebook features listed on it.

Facebook USSD Service Menu

  • From the menu Reply with the desired number,for example 2 for Update Status and so on. You should remember that only updating Status is free using this service. Everything else will cost you Rs. 1 for a day. That is not so bad after all, but if you’re a regular GPRS user then this may not be suitable for you.

Facebook USSD Status Update

  • Then all you need to do is reply with your Status update and it will be posted on your Facebook profile.

Facebook Status Update

That’s it, your status will be posted on your Facebook wall. Overall I liked the idea of free service to access Facebook. Though if you wish to use the paid version of this service, I would suggest opt for Airtel Unlimited GPRS plan which will cost you 98INR and you can access Facebook along with all other sites.

Now enjoy Facebook on Airtel using any mobile device, from anywhere without the need to activate GPRS.

Mobile Network

Airtel 3G Delhi/NCR Tariff Plans and How to Activate Airtel 3G

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Just now we informed you about Airtel 3G launch in Delhi/NCR region and being one of the India’s biggest telecom provider, we expect Airtel to cover a wide subscriber base for it’s 3G service. The best thing which Airtel did is by launching 3 flexible pricing model for it’s 3G service which will help users to select best 3G plan according to usage. Airtel also launched an unlimited 3G plan but of course with FUP (Airtel Fair usage policy).

DSC_2511 DSC_2516

Airtel 3G Delhi Plans and tariff:

 

plan

 

airtel-unlimited-tariff

 

Airtel 3G Unlimited plan:

For power user Airtel 3G unlimited plan will be the best. In unlimited 3G plan, your bill will not exceed INR 2000 and once your bill reaches, your download speed will go down to 20kbps and you will not be charged anything after that. In 2000 INR, you can download 14GB of data.

How to Activate Airtel 3G?

Activating Airtel 3G service is simple. All you need to do is call at 12134 or SMS ‘3G’ to 121.

I believe Airtel has made a good move by launching some new plans for NCR Airtel users, as they are expecting NCR to be the biggest consumer of their 3G service. Do let us know your views about Airtel 3G Tariff plans.

Mobile Network

Airtel GPRS Activation and Plans Detail

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airtel1

To avail Airtel GPRS on your mobile, you must have any GPRS plan activated on your mobile phone. Here is Airtel GPRS settings for mobiles.

GPRS Rs.10/day plan

After activation of this plan you will get 100mb free usage per day.

How to activate

Dial  *567*12#
or
Send SMS <SUB 10> to <567567 >
How to deactivate
Dial *567#
or
Send SMS <UNSUB 10> to <567567 >
Activation and deactivation cost is free.

GPRS Rs.19/3day plan

After activation of this plan you will get 200mb free usage for 3 days.
How to activate
Dial  *567*13#
or
Send SMS <SUB 19> to <567567 >
How to deactivate
Dial *567#
or
Send SMS <UNSUB 19> to <567567 >
You can direct get this plan on Rs.19 E-Recharge
Activation and deactivation cost is free.

GPRS Rs.98/month plan

After activation of this plan you will get 2GB free usage for 30 days.
How to activate
Recharge with Rs 98 (E-Recharge) and then dial *567*11# to activate this tariff. If you are an Internet power user, this Airtel GPRS plan is best for you.

Unlimited browsing plans

  1. Rs.20/day Plan

    2. After activation of this plan you can browse unlimited on your phone for 24 hours.
    How to activate
    Dial  *266*1#
    How to deactivate
    Dial *266*2#

  2. Rs.450 Plan

    3. After activation of this plan you can browse unlimited on your phone for one month.
    How to activate
    Recharge with Rs.450 (E-Recharge)

Notable Points

  • To use daily and 3 days plans your account balance must be more than Rs.10 and Rs.19 respectively otherwise your plan will not be activated.
  • Data charges after free usage for Rs.10/day plan: 20p/50kb
  • Data charges after free usage for Rs.19 and Rs.98 plan: 30p/50kb
  • Downloading is not free in unlimited browsing tariffs

Do let us know if you have any questions regarding  Airtel  GPRS plans.

Mobile Phones

Activate DND to Block Unwanted Calls on Indian Networks

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Popular cellular network like Airtel and Vodafone send lots of promotional SMS to keep you updated but such promotional messages starts annoying when you receive them in bulk.

A lot of people are irritated with unwanted calls and SMS from their Indian networks. This article tells you how to activate DND. The consumer has the right to register for DND(Do Not Disturb) service at will. The process for most popular Indian networks is listed here. Continue reading Activate DND to Block Unwanted Calls on Indian Networks →

iPhone Tutorials

How to Disable iPhone GPRS Data

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If you’ve got yourself an iPhone, then this post will certainly help you one or the other way. Since it’s an iPhone, you’d have obviously opted for an always on GPRS data pack so you can browse the internet and stay connected all the time. Most of the features on the iPhone, except all those games and other apps require internet. Undoubtedly, the Internet experience is amazing with the iPhone. I also have Airtel broadband connection at home and I use it’s wi-fi to connect to Internet. But iPhone gives preference to GPRS connection first and after that wi-fi connection. Hence, you may be wondering how to disable iPhone GPRS, so that you aren’t charged extra money.

Charged extra? How exactly, you must be thinking. Well, the iPhone uses the GPRS data to gather the latest update on weather, emails etc, which may sometimes lead to excessive data being used. More data used, outside the limit means extra charges by the carrier. Here’s a really easy method that allows you to disable iPhone GPRS at any time you want and thus save yourself from being charged extra.

How to Disable iPhone GPRS

This is a really simple solution actually, and all you need to do is switch off GPRS connection. You can switch off the GPRS data when around a wi-fi zone and switch it on while travelling.

On your iPhone, to disable the GPRS connection, you need to follow this simple steps:

  • Go to Settings and tap on General.
  • Now Scroll down and tap on Network.
  • Go to Cellular Data and the turn it off.

disable iphone gprs

That’s it, now too turn your GPRS back on, all you need to switch Cellular data back to On. This is a simple way to disable iPhone GPRS and will be helpful for new iPhone users who want to avoid being charged by their carrier for data usage.