Hyderabad: The prepaid plans offered by the big telecom players have been updated days after their announcement. Both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have updated their new voice and SMS-only plans with revised pricing. These changes appear to have been implemented following consumer demand for affordable recharge plans and a compliance review by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The Need for Voice and SMS-Only Plans
Previously, Indian telecom providers bonded data services into their recharge plans, forcing customers to pay for data to avail themselves of voice calls and SMS. This was particularly problematic for elderly users and rural populations, who did not always require data benefits. TRAI took note of the problem and issued guidelines for telecom operators to offer voice and SMS-only recharge options. As a result, Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea (Vi) launched new prepaid plans for their users.
Jio's Voice and SMS-Only Plans
Rs 1,748 Recharge Plan: Reliance Jio has revised its recharge plan from Rs 1,958 to Rs 1,748. This new plan offers 336 days' validity, unlimited voice calls, and 3,600 SMS. Notably, the plan previously came with 365 days of validity. The pack also offers access to Jio apps such as JioTV, JioCloud, and JioCinema(premium). The effective cost of the new plan comes down to Rs 5.2 per day.
Rs 448 Recharge Plan: The recharge plan of Rs 458 has now been reduced to Rs 448. The new revised plan offers a validity of 84 days, unlimited voice calls, and 1,000 SMS. Additional benefits include access to JioTV, JioCinema (non-premium), and JioCloud. The effective cost of the pack comes down to Rs 5.3 per day.
Airtel's Voice and SMS-Only Plans
Rs 1,849 Recharge Plan: Airtel has revised its annual plan from Rs 1,959 to Rs 1,849. The revised annual plan offers a validity of 365 days, unlimited voice calls, and 3,600 SMS. Other benefits include Apollo 24/7 Circle membership and free Hello Tune service. The recharge plan brings an effective cost of Rs 5.06 per day.
Rs 469 Recharge Plan: The recharge plan of Rs 499 has been revised and now costs Rs 469. The plan includes a validity of 84 days, unlimited voice calls, and 900 SMS. Additional benefits include Apollo 24/7 Circle membership and free Hello Tune service. This revised plan now has an effective cost of Rs 5.58 per day, offering a lower upfront cost and retaining the same features.
New recharge plan from Vodafone-Idea (Vi)
Vodafone Idea used to offer a single voice and SMS-only plan priced at Rs 1,460. It came with unlimited calling and 100 SMS for a validity of 270 days. it has now discontinued the pack in favour of two new plans that sit more in line with the packs offered by Jio and Airtel:
Rs 470 Recharge Plan: This pack comes with unlimited calling and 900 SMS for a validity of 84 days.
Rs 1,849 Recharge Plan: This pack offers unlimited calling and 3,600 SMS. It comes with a validity of 365 days.
Both these plans have the provision to send more SMS at the rate of Re 1 for local and Re 1.5 for STD messages.
[Note: This story has been updated with Vodafone Idea's new prepaid plan offerings]
