Reliance Jio, Airtel users can temporarily avoid upcoming price hike; here’s how
Reliance Jio and Airtel users facing the upcoming price hike have a window to avoid the increased charges, at least for a short while. However, postpaid users do not stand to benefit from this small window. Both telecom giants are set to implement significant tariff revisions starting July 3rd, 2024.
The prepaid recharges completed before July 3 will line up behind the existing plan and its price won’t be impacted, even if the plan itself is discontinued or increased later. This can provide some reprieve from the hike and offer savings, especially when the user opts for long-term plans. The price difference between the old and new plans in case of annual data packs is up to Rs 600 for both Reliance Jio and Airtel.
The current plans provide options between monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly terms. It is important to assess your typical monthly data consumption before you opt for a long-term plan. If you consistently use less than your current plan’s data allowance, consider switching to a lower data plan before the recharge deadline.
Jio’s hikes range from 12-25%, while Airtel’s go from 11-21%. Popular plans like Jio’s Rs 239 monthly plan with 1.5GB daily data are revised to Rs 299 (a 25% increase).
Since postpaid users typically pay at the end of the billing cycle, there’s no immediate way to avoid the price hike. However, reviewing their data usage and potentially switching to a lower plan for the next billing cycle might be an option.
While Jio and Airtel are both implementing hikes, exploring plans from other providers like Vi (Vodafone Idea) could be a long-term solution if their revised rates are more competitive. By taking advantage of the pre-recharge window and carefully evaluating their usage patterns, Jio and Airtel users can save money and potentially delay the impact of the upcoming price hike.
