Jio Mobile Tariff to Rise by 12-27% from July 3, Free 5G Access Limited

Reliance Jio, India's leading telecom operator, has announced a significant increase in mobile tariffs, ranging from 12 to 27 per cent. This marks the first hike in two and a half years and sets the stage for other operators like Vodafone Idea to follow suit. The company has also limited access to unlimited free 5G services for its customers.

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Impact on Mobile Plans

The price of the lowest recharge plan will rise to Rs 19, which is about 27 per cent higher than the previous Rs 15 for a 1 GB data add-on pack. The popular Rs 666 unlimited plan with 84-day validity will now cost Rs 799, reflecting a 20 per cent increase. Annual recharge plans will see a hike of 20-21 per cent, with prices going from Rs 1,559 to Rs 1,899 and from Rs 2,999 to Rs 3,599.

The new plans will be effective from July 3, 2024, and can be accessed through all existing touchpoints and channels. Currently, subscribers with plans priced above Rs 239 can enjoy unlimited free 5G service. Others need to top up their plan with a Rs 61 voucher to avail of unlimited 5G service.

Industry Reactions

Industry experts anticipate that Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea may also raise their mobile service rates soon. Akash M Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, stated that the introduction of new plans aims to further industry innovation and drive sustainable growth through investments in 5G and AI technology.

Previous Rate Hikes

In December 2021, Jio had previously raised mobile service rates along with Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Earlier this year, Airtel increased its entry-level mobile services plan by about 56 per cent to Rs 155 from the earlier Rs 99.

Additional Services

Besides the hike in mobile service rates, Jio has introduced two new apps - Jio Safe and JioTranslate - which are free for customers for one year. Priced at Rs 199 per month, JioSafe is a quantum-secure communication app used for calling, messaging, and file transfer. AI-enabled JioTranslate is a multilingual communication app for translating voice calls, voice messages, text, and images.

Market Share

Jio has over 47 crore mobile subscribers, accounting for about 41 per cent of the market share. The company has raised mobile service rates across almost all plans. The price of the lowest recharge is being raised to Rs 19, about 27 per cent higher than Rs 15 for a 1 GB data add-on-pack. The new plans are expected to drive sustainable growth through investments in advanced technologies.

The recent tariff hike comes immediately after the spectrum auction as anticipated by sector experts. Unlimited 5G data will be available on all plans offering at least 2GB per day.

This move by Reliance Jio is seen as a step towards furthering industry innovation while ensuring sustainable growth through strategic investments in cutting-edge technologies like AI and advanced communication systems.