Reliance Jio, India’s No.1 wireless operator, has unveiled three new plans that come with built in IUC minutes. The three plans are priced at Rs 222, 333 and 444.
The 222 plan comes with 1 month (28 day) validity and 1,000 minutes of calling to other networks and 2 GB of data per month. Calls to other networks remain free as before.
The 333 plan also comes with 1,000 non-Jio minutes and 2 GB of data per day, but with a validity of an extra four weeks. Finally, the 444 plan also comes with 2 GB of data per day and 1,000 non-Jio voice minutes and a validity of 84 days (almost three months).
Another way to look at it is — Jio is offering 2 GB of data per day for 28 days for Rs 111, and 1,000 minutes of non-Jio calls for the same amount.
For Rs 222, you get one of each, for Rs 333, you get two blocks of data plans and one block of voice, and for Rs 444, you get three blocks of data plan and one block of voice.
So, for Rs 222, you get 28 days of data at 2GB/day plus 1,000 minutes of non-Jio calls. For Rs 333, you get 56 days of data (Rs 111 x 2), plus 1,000 minutes of non-Jio calls. For Rs 444, you get 84 days of data (Rs 111 x 3) plus 1,000 minutes of calls to non-Jio networks.
Heavy voice consumers may have to go for the 222 plan, as it gives 1,000 minutes to other networks in one month, while the 333 and 444 plans give 1,000 minutes for a two-month period and three-month period respectively.
Divided by number of days, 1,000 minutes for 28 days translates to 35 minutes per day. If you buy 1,000 minutes for 48 days, you are getting about 18 minutes per day and in the three month plan, you are getting about 12 minutes per day.
It should be noted that there is no daily quota on the number of minutes you can use, and unused minutes are carried over into the next day.
In other words, you can make voice calls to other networks for 3 hours on a single day too, under these plans.
CHEAPER OR MORE EXPENSIVE?
These new plans are in addition to the existing plans, which will also continue.
The plans are good for those who have decent amount of data consumption, as they come with 2 GB per day instead of 1.5 GB earlier for the most popular plan.
However, if someone only wants to use less than 1.5 GB of data per day, and makes only a few minutes of calls to non-Jio numbers each day, it would still be better for that person to go for the older plans.
Under the older plans, Jio was giving 1.5 GB of data per day and 249 minutes of non-Jio calls for Rs 169 per month (28 days). Under the new plan, a subscriber will pay Rs 53 more (or Rs 222) to get an extra 0.5 GB of data per day and an extra 751 off-net minutes.
Similar is the case for those who use their Jio connection primarily or only for data.
Under the earlier plans, one could recharge for Rs 208 to get 2 GB of data per day for 28 days, along with 124 non-Jio minutes. Under the new plan, the same user gets an extra 876 off-net minutes by paying Rs 14 extra.
The three-month plan of Rs 444 offers more value in comparison when compared with existing plans.
For example, the existing 84-day-2GB plan is priced at Rs 458 and comes with only 124 minutes, while the new 444 plan comes with same data benefits and 1,000 minutes, but costs Rs 14 less.