Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, the three private telecom providers, have hiked tariffs for their prepaid and postpaid plans by 10 per cent to 27 per cent. The new prices of Jio and Airtel start July 3 and Vodafone Idea’s on July 4.
However, there are still ways for customers to avoid the full brunt of these price increases, at least in the short term. Here are some options for telecom users to consider:
Recharge with annual plans before the hike
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Both Jio and Airtel have seen many customers rushing to recharge with annual plans before the price hike takes effect.
Jio's annual unlimited plan is increasing from Rs 1,799 to Rs 1,999, so customers can lock in the lower rate by recharging before July 3rd.
Airtel's annual plan with 24GB data is going up from Rs 2,899 to Rs 3,499, so users can save by recharging early.
Vodafone Idea's annual unlimited plan is also increasing from Rs 2,899 to Rs 3,499.
Take a look at Airtel price details:
Take a look at Jio Price details:
Take a look at Vodafone Idea Price detail:
Postpaid users can't avoid the price hike immediately since billing happens at the end of the month. However, they can review their data usage and potentially switch to a lower plan for the next billing cycle.
For example, an Airtel postpaid user on the 75GB plan costing Rs 499 can downgrade to the 40GB plan at Rs 399 to save Rs 100 per month . Similarly, Jio postpaid users can move from the 75GB plan at Rs 499 to the 40GB plan at Rs 399.