Amid Jio Broadband whisper, Airtel doubles data benefits in broadband plans

Bharti Airtel's announcement comes after rollout of its 'V-Fiber' broadband "to serve the exploding demand for reliable high speed data solutions in Indian homes".

Amid India's telecom sector abuzz with talk about Jio's broadband services, Bharti Airtel has announced new broadband plans under which it is offering up to 100% additional high speed data benefits within the same monthly rental plan.

Bharti Airtel whose broadband internet plans in the national capital start from Rs. 899 a month, said its new plans were aimed at driving India's digital transformation.

Bharti Airtel's Rs. 899 plan in Delhi, which offered 30 GB of high speed data earlier, now offers 60 GB data. Also, its Rs. 1,099 plan will now offer 90 GB of high speed data compared to 50 GB earlier, it said.

Also, its Rs. 1,299 plan now offers 125 GB compared to 75 GB earlier while the Rs. 1,499 plan offers 160 GB instead of 100 GB, the statement noted. "Similar large increments in data benefits have been effected at every price point in every city with unlimited calling to any network available across all plans," Bharti Airtel said. 

"Our new plans are aimed at putting India onto the digital superhighway and complement our superfast broadband offerings like 'V-Fiber'. At Airtel, our mission is to enable a superior digital experience and offer great value to our customers.

Existing customers will be upgraded to new benefits automatically within current bill cycle while new customers can choose from a host of plans that offer great value backed by best-in-class high speed broadband experience, it said.

In response to a query posted by an individual on Twitter, Jio's customer care handle also said the company's network was in the process of being rolled out to other cities.

"Customers can check their data balance on 'My Airtel' app," Bharti Airtel said. Airtel's 'V-Fiber' delivers consistently superfast broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps to homes. "The 'V-Fiber' high speed broadband experience is available to customers within the same plan rentals and requires only a quick modem switch," it noted.

New Delhi-headquartered Bharti Airtel has operations in 17 countries across Asia and Africa. It had over 372 million customers across its operations at the end of March 2017.