Airtel now offers 1GB daily data and free calls at Rs 345 a month.

Call it the ‘Jio effect’ or moving with the times, but network operators have started offering new plans and subsidised rates for data and calling. Airtel has announced two new offers for its customers.

By paying the amount of Rs 345 (Rs 349 in some regions) in March customers are entitled to get 1GB of data and unlimited local and nation calls to any network for a month and the offer will be valid for the coming 12 months, of course you will have to recharge with that amount every month. Similarly there is the Rs 145 (rs 149  in some regions) recharge where customers get 2GB of data valid for a month and unlimited Airtel-to-Airtel local and national calling.  You should note that that this offer will be only be valid for customers who own a 4G handset.

-Rs 345 offer: Free local and STD calls to any network, 1GB daily data limit (500MB day + 500MB night)
-Rs 145 offer: Free Airtel-to-Airtel calls local and national, 2GB data per month

The offer is valid only for pre-paid customers and there is no similar offer for Airtel post-paid users. According to reports, Idea Cellular and Vodafone have also started offering similar plans to its customers.

Recently Reliance announced ‘Jio Prime’ plans where users get 15 times the amount of data unlimited calls for the similar recharge amount. For Rs 303 Prime membership plan, customers on Jio get 28 GB of 4G data, along with free unlimited voice calls starting 1 April.

	Airtel 145/149	Jio Prime 149	Airtel 345/349	Jio Prime 303
Voice calls	Unlimited (Airtel to Airtel)	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Data	2GB 3G/4G for a month	2GB 4G for a month	28GB	28GB
FUP	–	–	1GB (500 MB day, 500 MB night)	1GB per day
Validity	28 Days	28 Days	28 Days	28 Days

Telecom ministry asks companies to link over 1 billion mobile numbers with Aadhaar

All existing subscribers of mobile services will have to go for Aadhaar-based re-verification soon, with the government instructing telecom operators to initiate the process. Cellular operators body COAI said its members may meet this week to discuss the modalities of rolling out the verification process for the existing one billion-plus mobile phone users. “…all licensees shall re-verify all existing mobile subscribers (prepaid and postpaid) through Aadhaar-based e-KYC process…,” a notification issued by the telecom department said.

It further added that all licensees will have to inform existing subscribers – through advertisements in print and electronic media as well as SMS – about the order of the Supreme Court for re-verification activity. They have also been asked to upload the details of the exercise on their website.

The Supreme Court, in an order in February this year, had observed that, “an effective process has been evolved to ensure the identity verification, as well as, the addresses of all mobile phone subscribers for the new subscribers. In the near future, and more particularly within one year from today, a similar verification will be completed, in case of existing subscribers”.

The telecom department has said the operators will use and share common device ecosystem through mutual agreements, and will work out mechanisms to avoid public inconvenience and long queues. When contacted, cellular operators association COAI said that the industry supported the move, but pointed out that the entire exercise will cost Rs 1,000 crore for infrastructure and training, which will have to be borne by the operators. A report by the Times of India points that the cosy may be as high as Rs 2,500 crore.

“The issue of fake subscribers will go away. We will try our best to cover the entire base within the stipulated time frame of one year but in case we cannot, we may ask the DoT for an extension,” COAI Director General Rajan Mathews said. For re-verification through Aadhaar-based e-KYC process, the operator will send a verification code to the mobile number of the subscriber. Prior to starting the e-KYC, the operator will verify this code from the subscriber so as to confirm the SIM card of the mobile connection is physically available with the subscriber.

“After the completion of the e-KYC process, before updating or overwriting the old subscriber detail in database with the data received through e-KYC process, the licencee will seek confirmation from the subscriber about the re-verification of his/her mobile number after 24 hours through SMS,” the notification said. The operator can re-verify more than one mobile connection in one service area through a single e-KYC but not bulk connections.

For issuing additional mobile connections to re-verified subscriber, the operator would have to follow a separate e-KYC process. Verification of a subscriber would not be required in case of conversions – that is prepaid to postpaid connections or vice versa, it clarified.