Stage Set for Prepaid Data War with Airtel ₹199 Tariff Plan

[Amitav Sengupta]

The telecom companies are now set to another data war in the prepaid segment. Interestingly, Bharti Airtel rang the bell by introducing ₹199 tariff plan that offers 1GB data per day along with unlimited calls.

If you happen to observe the previous offering, ₹199 tariff plan offers unlimited calls and 1GB data for the entire validity period. The leading telecom company Bharti Airtel revamped the ₹199 prepaid tariff plan with an aim to offer 28GB data instead of 1GB data.

As per the new plan, the ₹199 plan offers unlimited voice calls (local, STD and roaming calls), 1GB daily data, and 100 SMS per day with a validity of 28 days. This is a BIG change initiated by the industry leader. Gone are the days, when the internet lovers were charged ₹250 per GB.

No doubt, this data war is a result of Reliance Jio. However, the new entrant’s ₹149 plan offers unlimited voice calls (local, STD and national roaming), 300 SMS, and just 4.2GB of data (with 150 MB daily limit).

Also Read: Airtel & Idea Offers Unlimited Calling and 1GB/Day Data for 84 Days

Reliance Jio ₹199 and ₹299 Tariff Plan:

In a counter-reply, the incumbent telecom operator Reliance Jio introduced two new tariff plans. As per the company, the Happy New Year 2018 plans are priced at ₹199 and ₹299. The new tariff ₹199 and ₹299 plans offer 1.2GB and 2GB data per day respectively with a validity of 28 days.

As usual, the unlimited voice calls benefit is included in the newly launched tariff plans. The new plans are meant for Reliance Jio Prime customers and offer unlimited internet with a FUP speed of 128 kbps.

Reliance Jio is widely popular for its ₹459 plan that comes with a validity of 84 days. If you are looking for a 28-day validity pack, then ₹199 plan is exclusively for you.

Recently, the telecom company announced an exclusive tariff plan for Xiaomi Redmi 5A smartphone users. Under this plan, the Jio user will get unlimited voice calls, 1GB 4G data per day, and 100 SMS per day with 28 days validity. Thus, the latest ₹199 plan is no more exclusive to Xiaomi Redmi 5A users and is open to general public.

Vodafone & Idea Cellular ₹199 Tariff Plan:

When industry leader and the new entrant are taking the battle to a whole new level, there is nothing much left for the other incumbent players except to launch me-too plans.

Both Vodafone India and Idea Cellular launched ₹199 tariff plan quietly without much fanfare. The plan offers unlimited voice calls including roaming calls, 100 SMS per day and 1GB data per day for 28 days. The newly revised plan will be effective from today across all telecom circles.

The only shorting with Idea Cellular and Vodafone India tariff plans is its daily voice calling FUP. With 250 minutes per day and 1200 minutes per week limitation, Vodafone and Idea Cellular are yet to offer true unlimited voice calling benefits.

Final Thoughts:

Data war is a good development for the customer. Gone are the days when the mobile data user used to spend more than ₹250 per 1GB of data. Now the telecom companies are offering unlimited combo plans under ₹199. Keeping its promise, Reliance Jio is also offering 20% extra benefit when compared to the incumbents.

However, there is a lot to do to with respect to minimizing the digital gap between the urban and rural India. Instead of fighting for the dominance in the urban market, the telecom companies should work towards spreading its footprint in the rural areas for the balanced growth of the nation. Just like roads and power, internet and telecom connectivity should be expanded across the length and breadth of the country.