Airtel Apologises As Subscribers Lament New Data Plans

Airtel Nigeria has raised its data pricing across various plans, citing rising operational costs. The move has sparked anger among subscribers, with many voicing their frustrations online.

Airtel Nigeria, one of the country’s telecommunications providers, has made significant adjustments to its data pricing structure.

The changes were noticed after a check on the *312# code and the company’s website revealed revised data prices, which are designed to address the growing operational costs the company faces due to a challenging economic environment.

The revised pricing includes a variety of data bundles. For daily plans, Airtel now offers N50 for 40MB (valid for 1 day), N100 for 100MB (valid for 1 day), N200 for 200MB (valid for 3 days), and N350 for 1GB (valid for 1 day). The weekly plans now cost N350 for 350MB (valid for 7 days), N500 for 750MB plus 1GB YouTube Night and 200MB YouTube Music/Spotify (valid for 7 days), N500 for 1GB plus 1GB YouTube Night and 50MB Socials (valid for 7 days), and N500 for 2GB (valid for 2 days).

The changes to the monthly plans include a jump from 1.5GB for N1,200 to 3GB for N2,000, 3GB for N1,500 to 4GB for N2,500, and 4.5GB for N2,000 to 8GB for N3,000. Additionally, the plans now include 10GB for N4,000 (up from 6GB for N2,500), 13GB for N5,000 (up from 10GB for N3,000), 18GB for N6,000 (up from 15GB for N4,000), and 25GB for N8,000 (replacing the 18GB plan at N5,000). Furthermore, Airtel raised its call rates from 18 kobo per second to 25 kobo per second. Some tariff plans, like the 5GB plan for N1,500 per week, remained unchanged.

This change follows a similar move by MTN Nigeria, which implemented a 50% tariff increase last week to cope with rising operational costs. However, many Airtel subscribers expressed their frustration with the new data pricing. On the company’s social media page, there were numerous complaints. A subscriber named Okikiola (@okikiola_Ayoade) expressed his displeasure, saying, “Return our data bundles back, it’s not easy to get money. You people are inconveniencing us. Data from 3000 for 20GB is now 3000 for 10GB. Why are we suffering for what we are paying for?”

Another subscriber, Jessy Paul (@Firstjessy), criticized the company for stopping its previous data offer, questioning whether he should switch to another network: “Can you change it back to what it used to be or should I break my Airtel SIM and switch to another network?” A third subscriber, ShadeFX D BoiCrypt (@ShadeFx__), added, “Life is already hard for us, and you decided to add more to it by being heartless. Why increase data plans and then exhaust them so fast? What did we do wrong by choosing to use your network? Does this sound fair to you now? Are you happy? This is Evil.”

In response to the backlash, Airtel apologized for the inconvenience caused by the increase in data prices. The company said, “We extend our sincere understanding regarding your concerns and wish to apprise you that comprehensive revisions have been effectuated across our voice and data plans.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecommunications industry regulator, approved a maximum 50% tariff adjustment for operators like Airtel. The NCC explained that the decision was made in response to the rising operational costs and was based on Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003. The commission assured the public that the decision followed extensive consultations with stakeholders across both public and private sectors.

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