Vodafone Idea Prepaid and Postpaid New Plans, 04 July 2024 New Plans Increased 11-24%
on June 28 announced Vodafone Idea (Vi) unveiled fresh prepaid and postpaid plans scheduled to take effect from July 04, making it the third telecom entity to revise rates following Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
Vi has adjusted rates by 11-24% across different segments and outlined intentions for substantial investments over the coming quarters to enrich the 4G experience and introduce 5G services. These revamped plans will be accessible through all current points of contact and distribution channels.
In an official statement, the telecommunications provider stated, “Aligned with our commitment to offer straightforward and comprehensive plans, Vi has crafted an optimal array of feature-rich options to cater to diverse consumer requirements. Consistent with our approach of supporting entry-level users while incrementally connecting higher tariffs with enhanced services, modifications to our entry-level plans are nominal.”
Vodafone Idea has increased the cost of its base plan—a minimum recharge value for 28 days of mobile service—by approximately 11%, from Rs 179 to Rs 199. The price of a popular 84-day validity plan offering 1.5 GB data per day has risen to Rs 859 from Rs 719 previously. Furthermore, the annual unlimited plan’s price has been escalated by about 21% to Rs 3,499 from Rs 2,899.
However, there has been no alteration to the 365-day validity plan, maintaining a 24 GB data limit at Rs 1,799.
The statement continued, “Vi distinguishes itself as the sole provider offering unmatched benefits such as Night Free Data and Weekend Data Roll Over through its ‘Hero Unlimited’ plans for prepaid customers, alongside a unique ‘Choose Your Benefit’ feature under Vi Max Plans for postpaid customers.”
Earlier, Bharti Airtel announced a hike of 10-21% in prepaid and postpaid mobile tariffs on Friday, following a similar move by Reliance Jio. Airtel has consistently advocated for tariff increases within the industry, highlighting the disproportionately low rates in India compared to global standards.
In the unlimited voice plan category, Airtel has raised tariffs by approximately 11%, resulting in revised rates from Rs 179 to Rs 199, from Rs 455 to Rs 509, and from Rs 1,799 to Rs 1,999.
Meanwhile, the Rs 479 daily data plan, offering 1.5GB/day with a validity of 56 days, has been increased by 20.8% to Rs 579.
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are set to implement the revised mobile service rates starting July 3.
Why were tariffs so low before?
The low tariffs in India were primarily due to intense competition driven by Reliance Jio’s strategy of offering extremely affordable prices to attract subscribers. This forced other telecom companies to either match Jio’s prices or face the risk of losing customers. As a result, tariff rates remained stagnant since 2021, despite substantial investments made by these companies to enhance their infrastructure. Additionally, significant expenditures were allocated towards acquiring spectrum, including 5G airwaves introduced for the first time in 2022, following the last tariff hike in the preceding year.