Is Telenor Gearing Up For A Fierce Battle Against Reliance Jio Ahead Of Merger?

Telenor was formerly known as Uninor. It operates in seven telecom circles and has 54 million subscribers as of March 2017. Telenor is known for its low pricing and innovative brand positioning ever since its inception in the country. It brought life Insurance for its subscribers which no other telecom provider has done so far. There is no premium to be paid for the service. The insurance cover amount depends on the amount of recharge done and maximum it can be of Rs. 50000.

Taking stock of the growing subscriber base of Jio, Telenor launched two prepaid plans. These two plans are priced a bit lower than Jio for Rs. 116 and Rs. 146. Both plans, both offer 1GB 4G data per day and free calls. The Rs. 116 pack has unlimited Telenor calls. The Rs. 146 plan offers unlimited calling with a FUP. The speed falls after the limit of 1GB data like Jio.

Let’s compare and decide if Telenor poses a threat to Jio.

Subscribers may feel network availability and quality of service an issue for Telenor as compared to Jio which is present in all 22 telecom circles. With Telenor-Airtel merger around the corner, users can expect a drastic change in the operations of Telenor. Airtel will leave no stone unturned to utilise Telenor to its advantage. We expect Airtel to continue with the Telenor brand as it is and strengthen its network. Taking a cue from Telenor’s aggressive plan pricing, Airtel-Telenor duo will stand out to be a tough competitor in the race. We expect better plans from both the operators in future and improved quality of service.