Good News! Idea Slashes Data Charges By Upto 45 Percent

Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecommunications services provider, has effectively reduced pre-paid data tariffs by increasing data benefits on some of its pre-paid data recharge packs.

“We expect mobile revenues to grow by over 8 per cent for Airtel and 13 per cent for Idea in 2016-17 driven by strong growth in data traffic despite falling yields”, said analysts at UBS.

Airtel has announced data benefits by up to 67 percent, where the Rs. 655 4G/ 3G monthly recharge pack will now offer 5GB data vs 3GB earlier.

Last week, Idea had announced the price reduction by 45% for so-called “light” users, who consume below 1 GB.

“We may announce data tariff cut in a day or two”.

Idea users will now get 5 GB of 4G and 3G data at Rs 649 – a 67% more value than 3GB data earlier. Check it out to know more about the rates in detail.

Mr Sood, who was speaking on the sidelines of the GSMA Mobile Connect event, declined to quantify the data benefit that company will offer to its customers.

The latest move by telecom operators with regard to data pricing combined with drop in handset prices will drive affordability for customers, he added.

Along with the increase in the monthly packs, Airtel is also offering upto 48% more data on sachet packs.

While, the 2G data pack priced at Rs. 19 offering 75 MB data for 3 Days will now offer 110 MB data, a 4G/3G data pack for Rs. 22 which offers 65 MB data for 3 Days will now give 90 MB 3G data.

Jio has 1.5-million customers in its beta tests and is in the process of evaluating when to begin commercial operations, Anshuman Thakur, the company’s head of strategy, told reporterson Friday.

“Idea’s attempt at matching Bharti’s offering in the higher-end plans has come as a surprise as it has selectively focused on capacity spectrum and more on coverage spectrum unlike the former, which is focused on both capacity and coverage spectrum”, said HSBC.

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