Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea used to have plenty of options for consumers in the yearly validity segment. But those options have now slowly evaporated. The tariff hikes and the strategy to boost the average revenue per user (ARPU) figure has led this change. Jio now has select prepaid plans with yearly validity, to be precise only two options. Vodafone Idea and Airtel have several, but they aren't as affordable. Even with Jio, the two plans available aren't affordable.
Read More - Jio’s Most Affordable Fiber Plan with OTT Benefits
In short, these plans are going to come at a cost, and the user knows it now. But it's not always about the cost. It's about value. The right question is, are these plans of value to the customers. Today, most of the people whom I know, don't even talk about recharging with the year long validity plan. This is because - a) they are expensive, and b) they aren't as valuable to them. Yes, there's a convenience with the long-term or yearly plans of not worrying about recharging again.
Read More - Jio, Airtel Duopoly Should Not Happen: Govt
However, the cost outweighs that value, at least for the most population. I believe, the telcos don't even want users to recharge with the long-term validity plans. I could be extremely wrong, but my bet is, the shorter validity plans is where the telcos want the customers to stay. This boosts their ARPU more and it also ensures that customers can keep changing or upgrading their plans.
The yearly validity plans, sadly, aren't as good as they used to be. They were good once, but today, they just exist, and no one is excited about them. I wonder, once the cost of the plans go up further, what will the yearly validity look like. But the tariff hikes aren't going to be as conventional as they have been so far.
