Airtel has released a new prepaid plan for existing subscribers, which gives them unlimited calls and 1GB 4G internet for 28 days. This new plan comes shortly after the telco had introduced a Rs 178 plan with similar benefits, but only for new customers.
Airtel's new Rs 199 plan is not as simple as it sounds. The fine print reveals that customers will be subjected to 300 minutes per day and 1,200 minutes per week limits on voice calls. As for the data, 1GB 4G, 3G or 2G will be available throughout 28 days.
The new tariff competes with Reliance Jio's Rs 149 plan, which may not be as popular as the Rs 309 plan and above, but serves as a good alternative for those who do not consume much data.
Jio also offers unlimited voice calls, which is in line with all of its prepaid plans and gives twice as much data as Airtel's new plan.
If you recharge with Jio's Rs 149 plan, 2GB 4G data is allotted to the account and the speed will be throttled to 64kbps after the given limit is exhausted within 28 days. But Jio has attractive data booster packs, which offers 1GB data for as low as Rs. 51.
In comparison, Airtel's 1GB data pack with 27 days' validity costs Rs 175, which is more than thrice as expensive as Jio's offer.
Is Airtel's Rs 199 prepaid plan the best?
That's clearly up for debate if you're comparing it against Reliance Jio. But those who haven't switched to the new telco yet or do not have a secondary Jio SIM can certainly benefit from Airtel's new plan.
There is another catch to Airtel's plan. The offer seems to be applicable for select subscribers. To check if you're eligible for the offer, go to the MyAirtel app and click on the "Offers" section.
If you have a Reliance Jio connection, it makes sense to go with the Rs 149 plan and take advantage of the data booster packs when necessary. This would work, and at a much lower expense than the Airtel plan.
