On 20th January, 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved a 50% across-the-board increase on telecom services, thereby increasing the average call rate to ₦16.5 per minute. Since then, Airtel subscribers have been searching for the tariff plan that is best for calls with the cheapest call rate.
Although there are many Airtel tariff plans that claim to offer the cheapest rate for calls, it is only the Airtel Freedom tariff plan that has maintained that stance over time because they allow customers to call all local networks at a flat rate of 15 kobo per second.
However, apart from the Freedom plan, there are other Airtel tariff plans that are also good for calls. We are going to discuss in detail the best Airtel tariff plan for calls in the subsequent sections. Keep tabs.
Which Airtel Tariff Plan is Best for Calls?
The best Airtel tariff plan for calls is the Freedom Plan. when it comes to call rate, this plan allows subscribers to call all local networks—MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9Mobile at a flat rate of 15 kobo per second. When you are in this plan, Airtel will start charging you 15k/s for all calls from day one, and the rate will remain the same as long as you continue to use the plan.
Why Airtel Freedom Plan is the Best tariff plan for Calls
The reasons why the Airtel Freedom plan is the best tariff plan for calls are listed below:
- It allows you to call all network at a flat rate of 15 kobo per second
- There is no daily access fee on this plan
- There is no probation period on this plan, because you will start making calls at 15k/s right from day one.
- There is no initial migration fee for this plan.
- Additionally, you will be charged ₦4 per SMS and ₦3.072/MB for the pay-as-you-go (PAYU) data.
Who is Eligible to Use the Airtel Freedom Tariff Plan?
All prepaid Airtel customers are eligible to join this tariff plan. This means that if you are a prepaid customer on Airtel, you can join this plan by dialing *152#. Once you dial this code, you will be migrated automatically to this plan.
Alternative Airtel Tariff Plan for Calls
Other Airtel tariff plans that you can consider for calls are SmartTalk/SmartTalk Ultra, SmartTRYBE, and TalkMore Bundles.
For the Airtel SmartTalk/SmartTalk Ultra tariff plan, you will be charged a flat rate of 25 kobo per second for all calls to local networks.
For the Airtel TalkMore Bundles, you will be charged ₦10 per minute for local calls, but there are hidden charges, and the initial call rate is always high.
For the Airtel SmartTRYBE, you will be charged 30 kobo per second for the first 90 seconds of calls. After that, you will then be charged 13 kobo per second for your subsequent calls. This cycle repeats itself daily.
However, unlike the Airtel Freedom tariff plan, where the call rate, cost per SMS and PAYU data charges are defined, they vary over time in these alternative tariff plans; hence, the Freedom plan on the Airtel network still remains the king when it comes to the best tariff plan for calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Airtel plan is best for calls?
The Airtel plan that is best for calls is the Freedom plan. This plan allows prepaid Airtel customers to make calls at a flat rate of 15k/s, SMS at ₦4 and PAYU data at ₦3.072/MB.
Which Airtel tariff plan has a low call rate?
The Airtel tariff plan that has a low call rate is the Freedom plan. It has the lowest call rate when compared to other plans like SmartTalk/SmartTalk Ultra, SmartTRYBE, and TalkMore Bundles.
Which Airtel plan is best for unlimited calls only?
The Airtel plan that is best for unlimited calls is the Freedom plan. It allows you to call all local networks at 15 kobo per second with hidden charges.