Idea Cellular, the third largest telecom operator in India by revenue, has started offering new customers 84 GB and free on-net calls for 84 days for just Rs 230 in the Kerala circle.
Similar schemes are likely to have been launched in other circles as well.
It also offers a 451 rupees first recharge coupon that throws in off-net calls as well.
The offer is available only to new customers using first recharge coupons, and not for existing subscribers.
The move is likely aimed at getting as many new subscribers as possible to offset those who are leaving the network.
For existing customers, the operator used to offer 84 GB at a price of around Rs 400. The pack price was then increased to Rs 500.
At present, the offer is not visible on the company’s website.
Idea has sustained the most damage in the last few months from the rising popularity of Reliance Jio, a new 4G operator.
The company lost 23 lakh users in July and 28 lakh in August, more than competitors Vodafone and Bharti Airtel.
The company is in the process of merging itself with Vodafone in an all-share deal.
Compared to Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular is seen as being weaker on the mobile broadband side due to the a lower number of fiber-enabled wireless base stations.
However, with its merger with Vodafone, the company is expected to match Airtel and Reliance Jio in terms of its mobile broadband capacity.
The company is also preparing for a massive increase in its broadband uptake, from about 2.2 GB per month per data customer at present to 15 GB per user per month next year.