To keep any SIM card active, users have to do minimum recharge every month, but now this will not happen. For the minimum recharge plan, users have to spend approximately Rs 199 for 28 days. At the same time, operators also offer some cheap options. However, you will not need it now.
TRAI has implemented a rule, which will provide great relief to telecom users. Under this rule, you can keep your SIM card active by maintaining minimum prepaid balance in your account. This minimum prepaid balance should be only Rs 20. If you have this much money in your account, your number will remain active even after 90 days. However, it also has some conditions. Let us know the whole matter.
What is the whole matter?
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India i.e. TRAI has implemented the Automatic Number Retention Scheme. This scheme is applicable to all telecom operators. That means you live, AirtelNo matter which service you are using, Vi or BSNL, you will get this facility.
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According to TRAI rules, if you do not use data, voice, SMS or any other service and also do not recharge, then your SIM card gets deactivated after 90 days. The telecom operator can deregister that number and release it to another user.
However, now you can avoid this situation. For this you should have at least Rs 20 in your account. Suppose you neither make any call nor use data and SMS services from any SIM card for 90 days, then Rs 20 will be deducted from your account and the validity of your SIM card will be increased for 30 days.
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What will happen if there is no balance?
After this, after next 30 days Rs 20 will be deducted again and validity will increase. This process will continue as long as there is money in your account. That means you can keep your secondary SIM card active at a monthly expense of just Rs 20.
If there is no balance in your account, you will get a grace period of 15 days. If you do not recharge even within these 15 days, your SIM card will be deactivated. This rule of TRAI is not new, but telecom companies were not following it. TRAI had issued this rule in March 2013.
Jio, Airtel and Vi have also given information about this rule on their websites. Airtel has written on the term and condition page that if any service is not used from a number for 90 days and it does not have a minimum balance of Rs 20, then its service will be deactivated.
However, here you have to keep one thing in mind that the SIM will remain active due to the balance of Rs 20. It has nothing to do with the validity of incoming and outgoing calls, SMS and other services. That means, for Rs 20, your SIM card will remain active, but you will not get services. Telecom companies also stop the facility of OTP and incoming calls if minimum recharge is not done.