Bharti Airtel has informed that it is closely working with financing companies to spur feature phone to smartphone conversion. Meanwhile, Airtel is also planning to work closely with smartphone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on ways to improve the proposition of devices, and bring down the upfront cost of the device through cashbacks and offers.
Airtel is already working with Realme to offer a Rs 750 upfront discount on an entry-level model to make it more appealing to feature phone customers. While affordable smartphones are needed to help feature phone users upgrade, the market itself is moving to more premium segments.
The operator plans to roll out 5G services across the country by March 2024. To this end, the operator noted that it will come out with 5G tariff plans shortly. That said, the telco also informed that it is unlikely to charge a premium tariff as 5G-enabled devices constitute just 8-9 per cent on the network. The company has launched 5G services in eight cities including the four metros and plans to cover the big cities by December 2022.
