There is no doubt that the launch of Reliance Jio is likely to transform the Indian telecom sector with the announcement of free voice calls and affordable data packs.
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Jio users would also not face any blackout days like Diwali and New Year, when operators tend to charge double.
Bharti Airtel too lost 1.35 per cent to Rs 306.50 but later saw some recovery and was trading at Rs 312.10, up 0.45 per cent during the afternoon trade. The entry level plan is essentially a voice plan as it bundles only 300MB of data but there are cheaper options available in the market. He said he hopes for 100 million customers “in the shortest possible time”. “Jio Digital Life will give the power of data to each Indian, to fulfill every dream and collectively take India to the global digital leadership…” Bernstein also said average data users in India now consume around 800 MB per month – so the 300 MB Jio offer at the base would be a step backward for majority. For those heavy data users, monthly plans are available upto Rs4,999 per month.
As per this plan, prepaid users can enjoy 2 GB of data and unlimited night data.
Under these plans (except Rs 149 plan), subscribers will also have wifi access (with varied amounts of usage) from JioNet Hotspots.
Market leader Bharti Airtel cut its prices for mobile data services earlier this week ahead of Reliance’s AGM in a bid to stop users switching to Jio in coming months.
Shares of Idea Cellular went down by 3.46 per cent to Rs 80.80 – its 52-week low, while Reliance Communications fell by 3.45 per cent to Rs 47.45 on BSE. According to Ambani’s presentation, data rates per GB are around USD 30 in Japan, USD 18 in Korea, USD 15 in China, USD 7.5 in Spain and USD 6 in South Africa.
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India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani announced on Thursday that his Reliance Industries’ long-awaited 4G mobile services would finally launch this month, sending shares of rival Bharti Airtel plummeting nearly seven percent. It will cost you only Rs 1,999.
