Airtel's new plan gives 14GB 4G data at Rs 145, matches Jio Prime's data rates

New Delhi, Mar 1: If you gave up your home internet connection while using the free Jio internet service, the nearing of the end of Happy New Year offer would get you thinking. To continue you need to pay Rs 303 per month for 30 GB data -- that is Rs 10 for every 1GB 4G data you get daily an amazing offer that probably got the other telecom operators going bonkers.

So Airtel has turned up with two new plans that would take the 100 million plus Jio users by surprise. The company has cut its 3G/4G data price to Rs 10 per GB that matches almost exactly with Jio.

The new plan is cheapest yet Airtel has offered. For a recharge of Rs 145, the company is offering 14GB 3G/4G data, claims a report from Economic Times. It is not only similar to Jio, but a smaller pack -- meaning if you don't use 30GB data every month, there is an option to buy less but at the same per GB data cost.

The pack also has an added benefit -- unlimited Airtel-to-Airtel calls. And if you want unlimited calls to all networks, there is the 349 pack.

The Rs 349 pack, launched alongside the Rs 145 pack, offers unlimited calls to all networks and 14 GB 4G data per month. That is a big discount, as Airtel offered these benefits in packs priced well over Rs 1000 before.

But the packs have daily cap of 0.5GB or 500MB, which means it can't be accumulated and used at once similar to Jio's Rs 303 plan. The catch with Jio, though, is that you need to pay Rs 100 to become a Jio Prime customer first to be eligible for Rs 303 plan.

The coverage and connectivity issues continue to plague Jio's network that is yet to make presence in the nook and corners of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Meanwhile, according to a report released by TRAI this month revealed that Jio 4G internet speeds fell sharply in January, while Airtel clocked double to reach up to Jio's declined numbers.