By Neville Lahiru

Around the world, networking and telecommunications are constantly evolving as providers compete to claim the top spot in offering the best, most viable and affordable product, from facilitating a seamless networking experience, to ensuring easy accessibility with affordable pricing.

But to what extent do providers stick to this commitment of really giving the best of the best, especially in the prepaid industry?

A recent topic of discussion amongst prepaid users in Sri Lanka is the strategic segregation and pricing of reloads, with the revelation of deliberately leading customers into a vicious ‘reload trap’.

A pocket-burning cycle

In a country that exceeds 29 million mobile connections and over 17 million broadband subscriptions (TRC Statistics, March 2021), mobile reloads are portrayed as offering so much more convenience to the average user, and many are convinced that they are getting the best deal out of their provider, through the plethora of data and voice bundles they can choose from.

Many local providers are offering monetary, data and other stipulated reload packages at attractive prices- but that’s all they really are, attractively priced. Looking closely at what’s going on, customers are essentially spending on average, 10-12 different prepaid packages to get access to different online applications and top-ups for voice which are available in smaller denominations (i.e. Rs.20, Rs.50, etc).

This trend of compartmentalising voice and data offerings is the prime cause for customers constantly topping up their accounts, as most customers’ purchasing behaviour is used to the current prepaid system. This trend has resulted in over three million reload cards being purchased a day, totalling a colossal 90 million a month.

Additionally, with the recent lockdowns around the country, it was clear that providers have also taken advantage by segregating their data offerings for work-from-home and online learning, another ‘best deal’ for customers to add to their monthly reload budget.

As well as the constant nag to check on their existing data and credit packages, and whether they need to get more reloads, the financial strain on customers through this pricing model is also irrefutably high to most, but instead of challenging the norms, they go with the flow in purchasing what is available to them in the current prepaid market. This clearly needs to change.

Changing the game for the better

The basic notion of utilising a prepaid connection is to control and ease the financial and mental burden of customers by allowing them to purchase only what they need, when they need it. While the proposed freedom of choice is appealing, in reality, it is far from it. What needs to be understood by most is that the facility to stay connected and consume data is no longer a privilege or luxury- it is an essential.

Seeing the ‘essential’ aspect being incorporated as well as emphasis being placed on the need to facilitate users to stay connected with a solid network coverage for an affordable price, Airtel’s ‘4G Freedom Packs’ seem to be a step in the right direction for the sustainability of consumers, and the transparency of the telecommunications industry.

Airtel’s ‘4G Freedom Packs’ are designed from the ground up to offer four single market-disrupting rates which promise to cover the data, voice and SMS needs for an entire month, as per the user’s requirement.

With most of Sri Lanka’s prepaid customers who are used to the pre-existing reload offerings being unfamiliar with Airtel’s ‘4G Freedom Packs’, the perks of activating such a package far outweigh the concerns- if any. This refined product, while refreshing the prepaid industry, essentially cuts 10-12 recharges for one simple recharge which is valid for a whole month.

Customers can witness significant savings and a worry-free experience as well, with the elimination of the need for frequent and cumbersome reloads. For example, the Rs.999 Freedom Pack, which is the largest package, offers customers 60GB of anytime data, which is divided among a 2GB/day quota to ensure that customers will have a substantial amount of daily data for the entire validity of the package. Around the same price point, other providers offer only a fraction of the data and voice offerings, sometimes with a totally separate package which has to be purchased for talk time.

Airtel to Airtel calls are also unlimited throughout the validity of these packages and free minutes are allocated for Airtel to other networks, and if these minutes run out, customers will only be charged 50 cents per minute, the lowest rate in the industry, accounting only for the interconnect fee when connecting to another network.

Senior management at Airtel have also pro-actively expressed their interest to make the ‘voice’ call facility free-of-charge, with the idea that the basic need to stay connected through voice calls is essential for all people and it’s not something that they should be charged for. It’s an encouraging sight to see a telecom giant address this facility, with hopes of a definitive advantage to the end-consumer.

What more can we expect?

With the penetration of a newly structured and practically bundled package by Airtel to the local prepaid industry, we’re likely to see other providers follow suit eventually. Often, the influence of a never-before-experienced product in the telecom industry is felt by other providers who will compete to deliver a product with similar or better value. Thus, offering a customer-centric edge in telecommunication advancements.

The point is, it’s important that customers take a closer look at the services they pay for instead of taking it all at face value. Are you paying more for less data? Are there any speed or capacity limitations? Is your internet coverage even worth it? These are all questions worth asking before subscribing to any service.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to drastic changes in daily routines, and created intense stress and uncertainty for most others. This has invariably impacted our physical wellbeing, and equally importantly, our mental and emotional health. While it has often been an uphill struggle, organizations like the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has made significant progress in raising awareness and expanding access to mental health services in Sri Lanka.
In addition to providing in-person care, NIMH is also providing those in need with free access to professional help through its ‘1926’ hotline, and most recently, through its text-based chat service, powered by Airtel Lanka.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health of people of all ages. Now, more than ever, it is critical to reduce the stigma around mental health struggles. This is often one of the main obstacles to those seeking help. Over the past two years, we noticed a corresponding increase in calls to 1926, with our team of qualified mental health professionals typically receiving about 3,000 phone calls per month. We were able to provide successful interventions in all of these cases, and 220 instances so far, we were able to provide life-saving support to people going through an extreme moment of crisis,”
“With the establishment of our text-based chat service in partnership with Airtel Lanka last October, we also saw a significant increase in younger Sri Lankans between the ages of 14-20 years reaching out for help. Often they would start the interactions by texting, and once they became more comfortable speaking about what they were going through in that format, they were also more willing to speak over the phone. This is already a major step forward, and an excellent complementary service to the call-line, and we are grateful to the Airtel Lanka team for working so closely with us, and getting this chat service up and running free of charge and training our team on its usage. This was a real challenge, and also extremely timely, especially for young Sri Lankans.” NIMH Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr. Wajantha Kotalawala stated.
He noted that the sharp increase in calls for help during the first wave were mainly from middle-aged adults. Sadly a significant proportion of these calls were the result of relationship issues, domestic and intimate partner violence, and associated emotional trauma.
However, with the most recent wave of COVID-19 infections and the imposition of fresh travel restrictions, there have been relatively fewer calls and texts, even from people in extreme crisis situations.
“We received many calls from people dealing with depression and anxiety, mainly as a result of the uncertainty around their future, but even here, the frequency of calls and texts was a bit less than last year. It is not really possible to definitively say why this is happening. Certainly the fact that it has been more than a year since the pandemic was declared means that people are simply getting used to the stress of what they are going through.
“It might also be the case that people are less willing to speak about what they are feeling because they feel their situation cannot improve. But there is always a solution, it starts with talking openly and freely without judgement about what they are going through. We cannot promise any quick results, but we make sure there are a qualified and experienced professionals to help you through any kind of crisis,” Dr. Wajantha stated.
As a result of these initiatives, from the start of the year, NIMH has registered more than 1,000 new clients from all ages, with an average age of approximately 25 years. Typically each person reaching out to us evaluated with their consent from the onset in order to understand how intense their challenges are.
Based on these assessments and several rounds of questions, the counsellors will offer advice that specifically addresses their individual issues. If an issue is particularly serious, they may switch from text to telephone, and even suggest in-person appointments depending on what would be most effective.
“A lot of what is required of us is paying attention and trying to understand what a person is going through, and simply following up with them to see how they are doing, and whether the measures suggested were effective. If they weren’t we can also refer clients to clinicians in their area. While we can’t solve all problems through text or over the phone, we can at least help them understand what their options are.
“It’s important for them to know that in a crisis they can always reach for help and it will be given. If you or anyone you know is in distress – even if it’s over something you feel is a small matter – it can help a lot to speak about what you’re going through to a qualified mental health professional. This can be one of the most powerful actions you take. You don’t have to face it alone, just call or text 1926.”