Before Reliance Jio could officially roll-out the ambitious GigaFiber, the Fibre to the Home (FTTH) broadband Internet service India, state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched similar service dubbed as Bharat Fiber.
The new BSNL Internet service is being offered in multiple subscription plans with maximum speed of 100Mbps. As per the initial reports, Bharat Fiber subscribers will be able to enjoy 35GB data per day and have to pay just Rs 1.1 per GB download.
"We realize that now customers are demanding super fast internet and have started owning more electronic gadgets and entertainment tools than ever before. So our Fiber to the Home technology has been upgraded and we are happy to announce the launch of Bharat Fiber which will be an affordable yet able to meet the huge data demand of our customers," ET Telecom quoted Vivek Banzal, director of CFA, BSNL, as saying.
Though BSNL is yet to reveal a wide range of Bharat Fiber tariff plans, the initial details we have looks promising and also, it will have a head start over the GigaFiber.
Reliance Jio has only begun registrations and yet to roll-out the GigaFiber. It has similar data benefits and will be launched simultaneously in 29 Indian cities. As per reliable data, the company will initially offer free broadband service for the first three months with 100Mbps speed and the data cap of 100GB per month. If the customers exhaust the limit, they can opt for top-ups, which adds 40GB to subscription.
Subscribers can also request for more top-ups of up to 1.1TB per month during the trial period. It can be noted that it will be free of cost. Also, consumers can also opt for Giga Router and GigaTV set-top-box.
However, there's a catch; the customer has to pay Rs 4,500 for installation. On the bright side, it will be refunded if the consumer discontinues the service after the free trial period. They will also have to return the devices — GigaRouter and GigaTV — in working condition with no physical damage.
BSNL's new Bharat Fiber will also be competing with Airtel V-Fiber and ACT. After the telecom tariff price war, we can expect a similar fight among FTTH Internet Service Providers (ISP) in 2019. But, the ultimate winner will be the consumers, who will be spoilt for choices with ISPs offering lucrative data plans.
