A few months ago, I decided to switch from my reliable local ISP to the Airtel Black 599 plan. My goal was to get an all-in-one package that included Internet + OTT + TV. The process began with Airtel forcing me to submit my mobile number via their app just to view plan details—this instantly triggered a flood of sales calls within 15–20 minutes. Reluctantly, I proceeded and paid ₹2500 to get the connection installed.
I called 121 and waited for 30 minutes to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor kept going in circles. In frustration (and yes, I admit, I used some harsh words I should’ve avoided), she disconnected the call. I called again, this time waited for 40 minutes, and got another supervisor who was even more annoying. His only response was, “We’ll send a technician to your location.” After a lot of back-and-forth and raised voices, he finally agreed to disconnect the service. In total, it took me two long calls, more than an hour of waiting, and a lot of frustration to terminate the service. I was once a loyal Airtel customer—my first SIM was Airtel, and I’ve used their other services for years. This experience, though, has completely soured my opinion.
This whole episode has made me rethink my plans for when I move to Bangalore. I was considering Airtel or Jio Fiber, but after this, I’m now looking into ACT or a good local ISP.
Initial Impressions:
Things were smooth for the first 3–4 weeks. However, the honeymoon phase ended abruptly. Internet issues started cropping up frequently—something I hardly faced with my local ISP (maybe 2–3 times in 5 years). In contrast, Airtel managed to beat that in just one week. I began raising tickets regularly. The usual response involved sending someone to check the local distribution box. The issues kept recurring, to the point where I had to reactivate my old local ISP just to have working internet.The Deactivation Nightmare:
By the third month, I had had enough. I decided to disconnect Airtel Xstream Fiber and return to my local provider. What followed was the most frustrating part of this entire experience.I called 121 and waited for 30 minutes to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor kept going in circles. In frustration (and yes, I admit, I used some harsh words I should’ve avoided), she disconnected the call. I called again, this time waited for 40 minutes, and got another supervisor who was even more annoying. His only response was, “We’ll send a technician to your location.” After a lot of back-and-forth and raised voices, he finally agreed to disconnect the service. In total, it took me two long calls, more than an hour of waiting, and a lot of frustration to terminate the service. I was once a loyal Airtel customer—my first SIM was Airtel, and I’ve used their other services for years. This experience, though, has completely soured my opinion.
This whole episode has made me rethink my plans for when I move to Bangalore. I was considering Airtel or Jio Fiber, but after this, I’m now looking into ACT or a good local ISP.