Reliance Jio whose USP apart from cheap 4G LTE internet is free voice calls, will surprisingly not be the only wireless telco to offer the latter service as Vodafone India has also joined the fray as far as letting people speak wirelessly for free is concerned. This is via the Goa Yuva Sanchar Yojana.
The Goa Yuva Sanchar Yojana is an initiative by the Goa government to offer, youths aged between 16 and 30, free SIM card that comes with free voice calling (restricted to a limit) and a limited amount of free data as well. Vodafone India has emerged victorious in the bidding, to provide free wireless services, held recently.
The other contenders, apart from Vodafone, were Reliance Jio and Idea. The government's scheme is expected to reach as many as 1.25 lakh people in the state who have been deemed eligible to receive the freebie telco services.
As per the available details, the free talktime offered under the scheme would be 100 minutes; and as much as 1 GB data at 2 MBPS speed. Now, with Vodafone having acquired the rights to offer these services, the telco would be offering free voice calls and internet.
"Goa is taking the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji's digital India forward with this scheme which will digitally empower our youth," said Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who also distributed the first set of SIM cards.
In related news, Reliance Jio has said that call drop issues experienced by its subscribers, especially while placing voice calls to other operators, has reduced to as much as 28 percent from the earlier 80 per cent. The Mukesh Ambani-owned company also announced an extension of its free 4G services till March 2017 under the ambit of a Happy New Year offer.
