Vodafone Idea joins Airtel to offer ‘truly’ unlimited calling plans, will Jio follow?

Following in the footsteps of rival Airtel, Vodafone-Idea is also launching all-new unlimited prepaid plans all of which offer ‘truly’ unlimited voice calling on any network in India. Vodafone-Idea is going a step ahead and offering more diversity when it comes to the number of plans on offer - while Airtel offers only three at this point of time. Vodafone-Idea's new unlimited prepaid plans with unlimited voice calling are available for purchase starting today. 

Vodafone-Idea new unlimited plans

Vodafone’s unlimited prepaid plans start for as low as Rs 19 with a validity of 2 days, going all the way to Rs 2,399 with a validity of 1 year. There are as many as 11 plans to choose from – Rs 19 (2 days), Rs 149 (28 days), Rs 219 (28 days), Rs 249 (28 days), Rs 299 (28 days), Rs 379 (84 days), Rs 399 (56 days), Rs 599 (84 days), Rs 699 (84 days), Rs 1,499 (1 year), and Rs 2,399 (1 year). All the 11 plans offer ‘truly’ unlimited local/national calls to all networks without any FUP capping.  

Idea meanwhile is offering three new unlimited prepaid plans with unlimited voice calling – Rs 219 (28 days), Rs 249 (28 days), and Rs 379 (84 days). 

Airtel’s new unlimited prepaid plans, in contrast, start at Rs 219 with a validity of 28 days, going all the way to Rs 449 with a validity of 56 days. There’s also a Rs 399 plan with a validity of 56 days. All the three plans offer ‘unlimited calling on any network in India’ plus complimentary Airtel thanks benefits that include free Hello Tunes and unlimited Wynk music. The Rs 399 and Rs 449 plans also offer free access to Airtel Xstream Premium app services.    

All the major telcos have hiked their tariffs – in some cases, by up to 50 per cent – in India following the Supreme Court's October 24 AGR ruling. One of the biggest changes, post the ruling, is that telcos no longer offer free unlimited voice calls to other networks. Airtel was the first telco in India to offer a workaround to offer unlimited voice calling, and with Vodafone-Idea following suit, Reliance Jio is the only big telecom player to not offer a ‘truly’ unlimited prepaid plan. Of course, that could change in the next few days. 

Also Read:  Airtel Lifts FUP Cap On Voice Calls, Offers ‘truly’ Unlimited Calling With New Plans