In October 2024, my mom, who is a headmistress at a government school, needed a reliable internet connection for school work, as mobile internet in the area was almost non-functional. They specifically wanted a
prepaid broadband connection. I stepped in to help.
- JioFiber:
I noticed JioFiber cables on nearby poles but no fatbox. When I contacted them, the installation guy said the infrastructure was new and would take another month. He pushed me to take Jio AirFiber instead, but I declined since it wasn't what we needed.
- Local ISPs:
I reached out to a few local providers, but their responses were vague and none offered prepaid plans.
- Airtel:
Airtel's sales rep responded promptly via WhatsApp. I repeatedly told him we wanted a prepaid connection. He confirmed it was possible and came to the school the next day for verification. He offered a ₹499 plan for 12 months, claiming it was prepaid. I paid the full amount. Soon after installation, I received a message: “Welcome to Airtel Postpaid.”
Shocked and angry, I contacted the sales guy—he claimed he'd talk to his manager, then blocked me.
I went to the Airtel office the next day. The manager told me
Airtel doesn't offer prepaid broadband in urban area, only in rural regions. Also said they cannot convert a postpaid connection to prepaid .I asked to cancel the connection and get a refund. She said I could disconnect anytime and would receive a refund for the unused months. Since JioFiber was expected soon, we decided to wait and use Airtel temporarily.
March 2025:
I saw JioFiber posters near the school and noticed the fatbox had been installed. I applied for cancellation of Airtel. The router was picked up by Delhivery, and I was told the refund would take 45 days from disconnection.
Then I contacted JioFiber. I again asked specifically for a
prepaid plan. The rep said I’d need to pay ₹1,000 for installation plus ₹399 × 3 months. This felt off, because when we installed JioFiber at home, we only paid ₹1,000 for the router and ₹399 + GST for a
true prepaid plan.
Since it was the start of summer vacation, we delayed installation until late May.
May 2025:
School reopened earlier than expected. I contacted Jio customer care and was shocked to hear
they now only offer postpaid connections for new customers. So apparently, the Jio rep I spoke to earlier was also misselling me.
Now, after months of effort, I feel like my time and energy were completely wasted.
Question:
Is it true that Airtel only offers prepaid broadband in rural areas? I’ve seen people getting prepaid connection in this forum
m.economictimes.com
