Two of India’s top three private sector telecom service providers, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Bharti Airtel, this week announced a 20-25% hike in prepaid tariff plans.
Both the companies claimed that the proposed hike would increase average revenue per user (ARPU) — a key to their survival amid new entrant Reliance Jio’s ultra-low tariff plans.
| Vodafone Idea hikes prepaid tariffs after Airtel: Check revised prices, plan benefits, other details
“The new plans will start the process of ARPU improvement and help address financial stress faced by the industry,” Vodafone Idea said.
Airtel also justified its proposed tariff increase and said in an exchange filing: “Bharti Airtel has always maintained that the mobile Average Revenue Per User needs to be at Rs 200 and ultimately at Rs 300, so as to provide a reasonable return on capital that allows for a financially healthy business model.”
Airtel vs Vodafone Idea Prepaid Recharge Plans Comparison
While Vodafone Idea’s price hike goes live starting November 25, Airtel’s revised prepaid tariff plans will be available from November 26.
Airtel Rs 99 plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 99 plan
The entry-level tariff plan for both Airtel and Vodafone Idea now cost Rs 99. Airtel’s revised plan will offer 50% more talktime, while Vi will offer talktime worth Rs 99. Both operators will charge voice calls at 1 paisa per second and bundle 200MB data.
Airtel Rs 179 plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 179 plan
Both Vi and Airtel have hiked their respective Rs 149 unlimited calling prepaid plans to Rs 179. Both plans will offer unlimited voice calling, paired with 2GB data and 100 SMS a day. The plans’ validity period is 28 days.
Airtel Rs 265 plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 269 plan
The Rs 265 prepaid plan from Airtel and Rs 269 plan from Vi will offer customers unlimited voice calling, 1GB daily data and 100 SMS per day. Both plans are valid for 28 days.
Airtel Rs 299 prepaid plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 299 plan
The Rs 249 prepaid plans from Vi and Airtel come with unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS a day, 1.5GB daily data, and validity of 28 days.
Airtel Rs 359 plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 359 tariff
The Rs 359 prepaid plan of both service providers will offer unlimited voice calling, 2GB daily data, and 100 SMS a day. The plans’ validity is 28 days.
Airtel Rs 455 tariff vs Vodafone Idea Rs 459 plan
The Rs 455 plan from Airtel and Rs 459 plan from Vi come with similar benefits —unlimited voice calling, 6GB data, and 84-day validity. While the Airtel plan comes with 100 SMS a day, Vi offers 1,000.
Airtel Rs 479 tariff plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 479 plan
The two companies’ Rs 479 plans come with unlimited voice calling, 1.5GB daily data and 100 SMS a day. The plans are valid for 56 days.
Airtel Rs 549 plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 539 tariff plan
The Rs 449 prepaid plan from Airtel comes with unlimited voice calling, 2GB daily data, and 100 SMS a day. Vodafone Idea’s Rs 539 plan offers the same benefits and the same 56-day validity period.
Airtel Rs 719 plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 719 tariff
Vodafone Idea and Airtel’s Rs 719 prepaid plans offer unlimited voice calling, 1.5GB daily data, and 100 SMS a day with a validity period of 84 days.
| Airtel hikes prepaid tariffs by up to Rs 501: Check revised prices, plan benefits, other details
Airtel Rs 839 prepaid plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 839 plan
The Rs 698 prepaid plans from Vodafone Idea and Airtel offer the same benefits — unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS a day, and 2GB daily data. The validity is 84 days for both plans.
Airtel Rs 1,799 plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 1,799 plan
The two companies’ annual Rs 1,799 plans offer unlimited calling, 24GB data and 24GB data. While the Airtel plan offers 100 SMS a day, the Vi plan comes with 3,600 SMS.
Airtel Rs 2,999 prepaid plan vs Vodafone Idea Rs 2,899
The annual Rs 2,999 Airtel plan comes with unlimited calling, 100 SMS a day and 2GB daily data. The Vodafone Idea Rs 2,899 plan offers unlimited calling, 100 SMS a day, and 1.5GB daily data.
Airtel versus Vodafone Idea data top-ups
The Rs 58 data top-up plan from Airtel comes with 3GB data, the Rs 118 plan offers 12GB data, while the Rs 301 plan will have a data limit of 50GB.
Vodafone Idea’s Rs 58 recharge plan also offers 3GB data. The Rs 118 plan comes with 12GB data, while the 50GB data plan will come for Rs 298. Vodafone Idea offers an additional 100GB data plan for Rs 418.