Airtel, Jio, Vi plan prices increased: Is it time for telcos to offer 30-day plan validity instead of 28?

Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, and Jio have hiked their prepaid plan prices in India by up to 25 percent, which is a significant rise over the existing plans. Customers will have to shell out anywhere from Rs 20 to Rs 501 after the new price hike, which is surely putting a dent in the pockets of users. There’s no other option for telecom customers to pay for the recharge to avail of their services, such as 4G data, voice calls, and SMS, which have become a basic necessity these days. But one question that should be asked is that the telecom networks are offering only 28 days in the name of one month plan. If these telecom companies have increased their tariff prices, they should also increase the validity to 30 days from 28. This could come as a huge relief to users.

Airtel, Vi, and Jio 28 day plans

TELECOM	PRICE	BENEFITS
Airtel	Rs 179	2GB data, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 265	1GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 299	1.5GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 359	2GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
Vi	Rs 179	2GB data, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 269	1GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 299	1.5GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 359	2GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
Jio	Rs 155	2GB data, voice calls, 300 SMS
	Rs 179	1GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 239	1.5GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day
	Rs 299	2GB data/day, voice calls, 100 SMS/day

Why only 28 days instead of 30 days validity

In most months, we get 30 or 31 days (a few months) with the exception of February, which is either 28 or 29 days. When we refer to a month by weeks, we usually call 4 weeks a month, which comes down to 28 days. Mobile operators seem to be taking advantage of the same by just offering 28 days validity instead of the entire month. They (the telecom networks) are even saving close to a month’s days a year (combining the additional 2 or 3 days a month that is left out) when a user is recharging for only a 28-day plan for an entire year. Customers will have to recharge for one extra month again.

To put it in simple math, 365 days is called a year and telecom networks consider 28 days as a month, which means 365/28=13.03 months. So it’s clear that Airtel, Vi, and Jio are charging users for 13 months in the name of 12 months. 

Operator profits with 28 days validity

Operators are earning in crores by saving a month. There’s math for it as well. An average user spends over Rs 140 per month for mobile recharge on Bharat Private Mobile Service Providers. This is called ARPU. Jio has over 42 crore subscribers, while Airtel and Vi have 35 and 28 crores, respectively. When you multiply Rs 140 with Jio’s consumer base, 42,00,00,00,000 X Rs. 140 = Rs. 58,00,00,00,00,000 i.e earning more than Rs 58 billion with an additional month’s recharge. Similarly, Airtel earns over Rs. 49 billion (Rs 35,00,00,00,000 X Rs 140 = Rs 49,00,00,00,000) and Vodafone Idea earns 39 billion (Rs 28,00,00,00,000 X Rs. 140= Rs 39,00,00,00,000) just with an extra month’s recharge. This shows how big a month becomes with just two days for users and an extra month for companies.

Also read: Jio Rs 179 vs Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) Rs 179 plans: does Jio offer better benefits?

Conclusion

The 28 day plans were fine until the recent price hike but now that the new prices are effective, the 28-day prepaid plan should be made 30 days considering the vast price difference it brings. The cheapest Airtel and Vi plan starts at Rs 99, which used to be Rs 79 earlier. This is an additional Rs 20 per month which brings to Rs 240 per year (20X12). The Rs 240 means, users would have recharged the Rs 99 plan twice and the earlier Rs 79 thrice. It’s about time the Indian telecom networks offer 30 days validity for their prepaid plans similar to postpaid, at least on moral high ground.

The post Airtel, Jio, Vi plan prices increased: Is it time for telcos to offer 30-day plan validity instead of 28? first appeared on 91mobiles.com.

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