Vodafone Idea announces hikes in prepaid, postpaid tariffs to match rivals

Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Friday announced that it will be raising the prices of its mobile tariffs in India. The embattled telecom operator follows rivals Reliance Jio and Airtel, which both announced higher prices for their prepaid recharge plans and postpaid plans on Thursday and Friday respectively. All three carriers are aiming to increase their average revenue per user (ARPU) as they boost profits and recoup their spending on 5G network infrastructure over the past few years.

Price increase of the Vi prepaid recharge plan

Just like Airtel and Reliance Jio, customers opting for a prepaid recharge plan from Vi will soon have to pay higher prices to access the same data and calling benefits as their existing plan. It is worth noting that while Vi’s most expensive annual recharge plan offers a lower daily data allowance compared to Airtel and Jio, it is Rs. 100 cheaper.

All plans that offer a daily data cap (except the Rs 299 plan) offer unlimited data between midnight and 6 am, as well as a data rollover facility during weekends, the operator said.

To remain competitive with its biggest rivals, Vi had to keep its prices in line with its recently updated tariffs. Airtel on Friday said it had to ensure that its ARPU would be above Rs 300 crore for the telco to recoup its spending on 5G networks and earn sufficient profits.

Price increase postpaid subscription Vi

Postpaid customers will also have to shell out an additional amount every month once the revised tariffs come into effect. The Rs. 401 plan with 50GB of data will soon cost Rs. 451, while the Rs. 501 plan with 90GB of monthly data will cost Rs. 551. Both the plans offer unlimited data usage at night, along with access to some over-the-top (OTT) services.

Similarly, the two- and four-line Family plans will also get more expensive, the operator said. The two-line plan (with 70GB of data for the first number and 40GB of data for the second) will cost Rs. 701, up from Rs. 601. The four-line plan (with 140GB of data for the primary number and 40GB of data for each of the secondary numbers) currently costs Rs. 1,001 and will cost Rs. 1,201 when the new tariffs are introduced.

Vi price increase will take effect on July 4

The operator is yet to update these new prices on its website, as are rivals Airtel and Jio. According to Vodafone Idea, the new prices for Vi prepaid recharge plans will come into effect from July 4. Prepaid customers will see the updated prices when they recharge their phone number after that date, while postpaid customers will see the new plans when their next monthly bill arrives.