The Covid-19 pandemic has made the world take all the necessary precautions to keep themselves secure and sound. Though maintaining social distancing and staying indoors is the indispensable way to combat the threat, the feeling of isolation and fear has additionally grown amongst many, making people reach out to their loved ones and stay connected.
While doing so is now not very challenging for most of us – thanks to high-speed internet and unlimited Talktime – many are not that lucky. People in the low-income strata of the society are especially affected by the state of affairs as their earnings have been severely affected and the need to stay connected has increased drastically.
For instance, Anita Naik, a housemaid working in Mumbai, has to stay away from family to make ends meet. While she works and stays in the city for most section of the month, her family lives in a village on the outskirts. The pandemic hit her hard financially as she should only work at one residence now. Cyclone Tauktae further added to her woes as it’s not viable to journey back to the village. All of this together made it very challenging for her to stay in contact with her family and update them of her situation.
Keeping this struggle of low-wage workers in mind, some Indian telecom operators have come forward to make sure everybody can stay connected with their loved ones for the duration of these uncertain times. Bharti Airtel, for instance, is offering a Rs 49 recharge pack for free to about 55 million “low income” customers impacted with the aid of the ongoing pandemic. This recharge pack will offer a talk time of Rs 38 and 100 MB data with a validity of 28 days. This will help Airtel’s customers, often in the rural areas, to stay connected amid these difficult times and get access to necessary information as and when necessary. Thanks to the free recharge, Anita, and many like, can stay in touch with their cherished ones and make sure of their safety.
Additionally, Airtel customers who purchase the Rs 79 recharge coupon will now be able to avail double the benefits. Both the benefits will be reachable for Airtel prepaid customers in the coming week. This way the telco is ensuring that every Airtel customer is in a position to get some relief, at least in terms of connectivity, during these difficult times.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been tough for everyone, especially for the human beings living in rural areas with far few resources. It’s good to see Indian telecom operators act as a pillar of help and go the extra mile for their much less privileged customers amid the pandemic.