A few days back, we reported that Idea Cellular, the third largest operator in India by subscriber base, has added extra data in the existing packs in the Himachal Pradesh circle. Now, they have come up with the same strategy for the Maharashtra circle. The telco has made a revision to its data packs, and instead of hiking data prices like they did earlier, they have added more data into existing data packs.
This move by Idea Cellular is to counter Airtel, which is offering 4G data at 3G data rates in the circle. However, Idea has enough spectrum to launch 4G to counter other 4G players, but it seems that they will not launch 4G anytime soon, so they decided to add more data in older data packs to keep their users bound to their network. Idea is market leader in the Maharashtra circle with a maximum number of subscribers. However, in recent months, Airtel has bagged more new users due to their 4G offerings, while Vodafone acquired some new users due to their Double Data offers.
Idea has added data in both the 2G and the 3G segments. In the 2G category, revision has been done to two packs, which are priced at Rs. 248 and Rs. 298. Almost 50 percent of extra data has been credited to these packs when compared to the older benefits. While the telco has launched a new small data pack of Rs. 101, which offers a month-long validity, and 300 MB 2G data. You can get the complete details about the changes in the chart below.
| Details of Revised 2G Data Packs | ||
| Price | Old Benefits | Revised Benefits |
| Rs 248 | 1.25 GB 2G Data for 28 Days | 2 GB 2G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 298 | 2 GB UL 2G Data for 28 Days | 3 GB UL 2G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 101 | * Newly Launched | 300 MB 2G Data for 28 Days |
In 3G segment, Idea has changed entire 3G offerings. Customers can now get 1GB of 3G data at Rs. 249 instead of Rs. 299. Upto 50 percent of extra data has been added in the higher-end data packs. Please check the chart below for more details.
| Details of Revised 3G Data Packs | ||
| Price | Old Benefits | Revised Benefits |
| Rs 159 | 500 MB 3G Data for 14 Days | 500 MB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 249 | 750 MB 3G Data for 28 Days | 1 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 299 | 1 GB 3G Data for 28 Days | 1.25 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 349 | 1.25 GB 3G Data for 28 Days | 1.5 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 399 | 1.5 GB 3G Data for 28 Days | 1.75 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 449 | 1.75 GB 3G Data for 28 Days | 2 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 497 | 2 GB 3G Data for 28 Days | 2.5 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 598 | 2.5 GB 3G Data for 28 Days | 3 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 651 | 2.5 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days | 3 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 698 | 3 GB 3G Data for 28 Days | 3.5 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 751 | 3.25 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days | 4 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 851 | 3.75 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days | 5 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 951 | 4.25 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days | 6 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 952 | 3.5 GB 3G Data for 90 Days | 4 GB 3G Data for 90 Days |
| Rs 1099 | 5 GB 3G Data for 90 Days | 7.5 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 1251 | 6 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days | 9 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 1399 | 7 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days | 10.5 GB UL 3G Data for 28 Days |
| Rs 1999 | 10 GB 3G Data for 90 Days | 16 GB 3G Data for 28 Days |
Note that these packs are valid only for the Maharashtra circle, and we would like to suggest you to verify all these packs with your customer care before making a recharge. Also, don't forget to share your views on the revision through comments in the comments section below.
