Reliance Communications has announced that it will offer nearly triple the amount of data that it offers for its 3G data plans to subscribers, under a limited period festive offer. A prepaid subscriber will get 300MB of bundled data transfer instead of 100MB, at a price of Rs 108. Postpaid subscribers will get the same plan for Rs 100. Tariffs: Prepaid Recharge/Postpaid Rental - Data Volume and Validity Rs 108/ Rs 100 - 300MB for 1 month Rs 208/Rs 199 - 750MB for 1 month Rs 408/ Rs 399 - 1.5GB for 1 month We feel that R-Com should make these tariffs permanent. Why? - Ideal 3G Pricing: In our view this should be the ideal pricing for 3G, if telecom operators are really serious about driving subscriber growth. Since the time of their launch, 3G services have been unaffordable at Rs 10-Rs 15/per MB. - Impediments: There are several factors including erratic connectivity, poor indoor coverage and absence of content & services to support it, as well as a drop in the phone's stand-by time, that go against its mass adoption. Couple all of that with the expensive tariffs, and it becomes an unfeasible proposition, even for smartphone users. I went off 3G on Airtel poor coverage in Delhi that didn't justify the cost. If it's cheaper, one wouldn't mind signing up for 3G. - Initiating a tariff war: Reliance Communications (erstwhile Reliance Infocomm) was one of the first to offer cheaper voice tariffs, which ultimately lead to voice…
