Most recharge outlets to be available from Apr 20, incoming calls to continue: Jio

Reliance Jio on Friday said that most of the mobile recharge outlets will be available from April 20 onward, and customers who have not been able to recharge their account during the lockdown will continue to get incoming calls on their phones.

The company on March 31 had announced that users will continue to receive incoming call even after expiry of the prepaid account during the difficult situation developed due to spread of coronavirus infection.

"Majority recharge outlets will be available starting 20th April," Jio said, adding that customers can do recharge through online payment platforms, bank ATMs and also through associate programmes.

The company has come up with JioPos Lite app which its customers can download and recharge account of other subscribers on the network. The customer who recharges the account of others will get commission of around 4 per cent.

Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel have also come up with similar cash back or commission-based recharge service through app.

These two firms have announced extension of prepaid validity till May 3 for customers who have not been able to recharge their accounts.

Around 9 crore customers of Vodafone Idea and 3 crore of Bharti Airtel will continue getting free incoming calls till then.

The government announced nationwide lockdown starting March 24 till April 14. It has been further extended till May 3.

State-owned telecom operators BSNL and MTNL extended the validity period of their prepaid mobile services till April 20 and offer Rs 10 additional talktime even after zero balance.

Telecom body COAI pegged the value of benefits announced by telcos for low-income users at over Rs 600 crore and said the government should support further extension of benefits through universal service obligation fund where more than Rs 51,500 crore has been lying unused.