BSNL launches pre-Rakhi plan with 1GB free data and unlimited calling at Rs 74

Moneycontrol News 

State-owned telecom operator BSNL has announced a new ‘Rakhi pe Saugaat’ recharge offer for its prepaid customers with unlimited voice calls and data plans for its prepaid customers at a price of Rs 74.

The plan that can be availed from August 3 to August 14, includes a recharge of Rs 74 for which BSNL prepaid mobile subscribers can avail unlimited voice calls on their BSNL network and 1 GB data benefits for a period of five days.

While the new plan has not been devised for giving competition to Jio particularly, it will offer a good value for BSNL customers who are recharging now as the festive season sets in.

Earlier BSNL had rolled out a tariff plan under which subscribers could avail unlimited voice calling and 2 GB data per day for a period of 60 days.

A few combo offers are also being added by BSNL that will be priced at Rs 189, Rs 289 and Rs 389 which also include 18 percent extra talk time value and 1 GB of free data.

BSNL has also come up with a possible countering plan to Reliance Jio called the ‘Chauka-444’ that can counter Jio’s revised data plans with 360 GB data and validity of 90 days. The ‘Chauka-444’ pack offers a 4 GB data per day for 90 days and is only available to company’s prepaid subscribers.

BSNL has also rolled out postpaid plans earlier, and those customer who had enrolled themselves under the Plan 99 will now be able to avail 250 MB of data and those with Plan 225 will get 1 GB data compared to 200 MB earlier.

A price war has been raging on in India's telecom sector courtesy of Reliance Jio’s plans that were first rolled out on September 1 last year.

As per a Financial Express report, BSNL had expressed that it would feel the stress this year because of intense competition and asked the telecom department to speed up its receivables.

The new plans rolled out by the government-owned telecom major indicate its willingness to plunge into the cut-throat competition of the Indian telecom industry.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd