Idea offers 1.5GB 4G data per day for 70 Days at Rs 497 to counter Airtel, Reliance Jio plans

Idea Cellular has come up with its a new offer that provides unlimited voice calls within Idea to Idea network and 3000 minutes to other networks in just Rs 497. This plan is similar to Airtel Rs. 499 plan that offers 1.25GB data per day along with unlimited voice calling to any network across India.

Mumbai, May 1: To counter rival operators Airtel and Reliance Jio, Idea Cellular has come up with a new offer to lure its users. The company is now offering 1.5GB data per day with validity for 70 days for Rs. 497. Under this plan, Idea is also offering unlimited voice calls within Idea to Idea network and 3000 minutes to other networks. Post 3000 minutes, the user will be charged at standard rates. This plan that Idea has come up is similar to Airtel Rs. 499 plan that offers 1.25GB data per day along with unlimited voice calling to any network across India.

Earlier in April, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio launched its new Jio ‘Dhan Dhana Dhan’ offer. Under the Dhan Dhana Dhan offer, the company offered 1GB data per day at 4G speed for 84 days for Rs. 309. This means a user will get 84 GB at just Rs 309. Under Jio’s 309 plan, the user can avail the benefit of unlimited SMS, calling and data for three months on the first recharge. The company also announced a Rs. 509 unlimited plan for customers with high data usage- offering unlimited SMS, calling and data (2GB a day at 4G speeds) for three months on the first recharge.

Operators	Plan	Data	Calling	Validity
Reliance Jio	Rs 309	1 GB per day	Unlimited calling	84 days
Idea Cellular	Rs 497	1.5GB per day	Unlimited Idea to Idea & 3000 minutes on other networks	70 days
Airtel	Rs 499	1.25GB per day	Unlimited calling to any network	56 days

Jio’s commercial foray on September 5, 2016, with its disruptive offers stretching till March 31 this year forced incumbent telcos to come up with luring offers to retain and attract subscribers. Airtel has been constantly coming up with freebies after the launch of Reliance Jio. The telco has been trying hard to retain its customers by providing them with ‘surprise’ offers. Airtel’s Rs. 499 plan offers 1.25GB data per day. With this, the telco also provides unlimited voice calling to any network across India. But the cache is that Airtel is offering the plan for only 56 days, whereas Idea is offering the same for 70 days. Also, when Idea and Airtel’s plan are compared, Idea comes with 0.25GB extra data per day in its 497 plan.

It was reported that Airtel silently decreased the validity period of its newly launched prepaid plans such as Rs. 244, Rs. 399, Rs. 499, etc. from 70 days to 56 days without any prior information to the customers, telecomtalk.info mentioned in its report. Idea’s 3G cell site count went up from the 60,467 in the second quarter to 66,661 in the third quarter, which ended on December 31, 2016. (ALSO READ: Reliance Jio likely to launch Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband service soon)

Earlier this month, Idea came up with Rs. 297 and Rs. 447 prepaid plans which are a counter to Airtel’s Rs. 244 and Rs. 399 plans. Idea’s Rs 297 plan offers 1GB data per day for 70 days along with unlimited on-net voice calling, while the Rs. 447 plans offer 1GB data per day and unlimited calling to any network across the country. Idea is also offering an introductory offer to all Idea 4G/3G customers giving them 90 days free subscription to all the 3 entertainment apps-Idea Music Lounge, Idea Movie Club and Idea Game Spark for its customers in Bihar and Jharkhand circle till June 30, 2017.

Aditya Birla Group-led Idea Cellular which is India’s third largest telecom operator deployed just over 9000 4G cell sites in the quarter, taking the overall 4G site count to 33,954 in the country. In February, Idea Cellular said that its 4G networks now cover 211 million population across 2,898 towns and 15,720 villages in 11 circles. According to a Brand Trust Survey 2017, Jio has emerged as the second most trusted brand followed by Vodafone, Idea, and BSNL.

CLSA Ltd.,a Hong Kong-based brokerage and investment firm in its report mentioned that despite new entrant Reliance Jio Infocomm coming up with free voice and data offers after its commercial launch in September 2016, the subscriber base of India’s leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular expanded 12% during the second half of 2016-17. Idea has introduced offers including tariff packs, bundled smartphone offers and digital content for its users in Bihar and Jharkhand.