Got Asked to Pay ₹100 for “Free” BSNL 2G to 4G SIM Upgrade
I received multiple SMS messages from BSNL saying that upgrading my 2G SIM to a 4G SIM is free, otherwise I may lose connectivity soon.
So I visited the BSNL customer care center at KR Puram Telephone Exchange Building, Old Madras Road, Bengaluru. The whole process went smoothly until the end, when the staff member handing over the SIM suddenly asked me to pay ₹100.
I questioned him because the SMS clearly mentioned the upgrade was free. I told him I wasn’t going to pay ₹100 for something BSNL itself advertised as free.
After that, the older staff member got angry and started scolding me. He then claimed that the place is not directly handled by BSNL and is instead run by an agency. But nowhere in the office was there any clear board or notice saying it was an agency-operated center.
I refused to pay and left.
Has anyone else faced this during BSNL SIM upgrades?
incident dated: 20 May 2026 around 3:30pm