With telecom rates being slashed every day and a slew of new plans available in the market, mobile subscribers can ring in the good times. However, the wide array of choices poses a dilemma for the users, and this is compounded by the complex tariff structures.
The calling charges vary for on-net (local calls within the same network, such as Idea to Idea) and off-net calling (outside the network, such as Idea to Vodafone). Special schemes have a greater complexity like peak and off-peak calling charges, intra-group calling and variations in SMS rates.
To help you choose the best plan to suit your needs, we highlight some results from the recently conducted Credit Suisse survey on the Indian telecom sector.
The survey covered 150 plans across all the circles and five mobile operators— Bharti Airtel, Idea, Vodafone, Tata Teleservices and Aircel. The survey focused only on prepaid plans for new subscribers as prepaid users account for more than 90% of users for all operators. It did not include the impact of valueadded services like premium SMS or roaming facility.
Lifetime plans (lowest start-up costs) | Non-lifetime plans (lowest start-up costs) | ||||||||
Operator | Circle | Start-Up Cost (Rs) | Initial Talktime (Rs) | Operator | Circle | Validity (Days) | Start-Up Cost (Rs) | Initial Talktime (Rs) | |
Idea | Maharashtra | 150 | Nil | TTSL | Karnataka | 180 | 99 | 1 | |
Bharti | Himachal Pradesh | 195 | 10 | TTSL | Rajasthan | 180 | 99 | 1 | |
TTSL | Mumbai | 249 | 2 | Vodafone | Andhra Pradesh | 365 | 110 | 0 | |
Vodafone | Maharashtra | 294 | 10 | Bharti | North East | 30 | 148 | 38 | |
Idea | Andhra Pradesh | 295 | 10 | Vodafone | Mumbai | 365 | 149 | 0 | |
Bharti | Madhya Pradesh | 297 | 10 | Idea | Kerala | 30 | 198 | 10 | |
Vodafone | Mumbai | 299 | 10 | Aircel | Himachal Pradesh | 365 | 198 | 35 | |
• Lifetime plan start-up kits are available for as low as Rs 150. • A majority of plans are in the range of Rs 290-400. • TTSL offers the lowest lifetime plan cost across 8 circles. | Aircel | Orissa | 365 | 198 | 10 | ||||
• Non-lifetime plans are available for as low as Rs 99, but come with a 6-month validity. • All operators have at least one start-up kit for a non-lifetime plan that is available for less than Rs 200. |
Cost of connectivity
You can get connected for as low as Rs 15 a month. This includes lifetime plans where a subscriber needs to recharge with the minimum amount at least once in six months. You can retain a connection for two years by paying only Rs 17 a month for the entire term. This paltry amount will ensure that even if you can’t make outgoing calls, you can remain connected by receiving calls.
Tariff plans with lowest per-minute call rates | ||||||
Operator | Circle | On-Net (Rs/Min) | Off-Net (Rs/Min) | Landline (Rs/Min) | Conditions | Implied Average Call Rate (Rs/Min) |
Bharti | UP (East) | 0.30 | 0.50 | 1.00 | Add-on recharge of Rs 98 every month | 0.61 |
Idea | UP (East) | 0.10 | 0.50 | 0.50 | Add-on recharge of Rs 69 every month | 0.45 |
Vodafone | Karnataka | 0.24 | 1.00 | 1.00 | Recharge of Rs 253 initially | 0.76 |
TTSL | Gujarat | 0.09 | 0.49 | 0.99 | Available in Ahmedabad city | 0.53 |
Aircel | Himachal Pradesh | 0.00 | 0.60 | 0.60 | Add-on recharge of Rs 99 every 3 months | 0.37 |
The implied average call rate is based on TRAI’s usage pattern for outgoing calls |
Lowest SMS rates
The cheapest SMS rates are offered by Bharti in its budget plan, where sending a local SMS costs only Rs 0.05. However, Aircel provides greater flexibility with its lower SMS rates available as add-on packages for a limited number of SMSes, vis-à-vis the rental involved in the Bharti scheme.
Tariff plans with lowest per-minute STD rates | |||||
Operator | Circle | STD Rate (Rs/Min) | Conditions | Implied average call rate (Rs/Min) | • Rates for local phone calls vary greatly across all plans. • On-net calls for Aircel are free, but calls to a landline cost 60 paise a minute. • Idea charges only 50 paise a minute for landline calls. • TTSL scores over other operators with low STD rates and no strings attached. • Most plans offer low STD rates with an add-on for which you need to pay a rental. |
TTSL | Maharashtra | 1.00 | — | 0.78 | |
Vodafone | Rajasthan | 1.00 | 50 free local SMS on joining | 1.07 | |
Vodafone | Andhra Pradesh | 1.00 | Monthly rental of Rs 31 | 1.06 | |
Vodafone | Andhra Pradesh | 1.00 | Monthly rental of Rs 31 | 1.06 | |
Bharti | Haryana | 1.00 | Rental of Rs 45 every 6 months | 1.07 | |
Bharti | Haryana | 1.00 | Rental of Rs 399 every 6 months | 0.62 | |
Bharti | Haryana | 1.00 | Rental of Rs 276 every 3 months | 0.63 | |
Idea | Himachal Pradesh | 1.20 | Recharge of Rs 100 a month | 0.45 | |
Idea | Himachal Pradesh | 1.20 | Recharge of Rs 100 a month | 0.45 | |
Aircel | Himachal Pradesh | 1.20 | Rental of Rs 99 every 3 months | 0.37 | |
Aircel | Himachal Pradesh | 1.20 | Rental of Rs 99 every 3 months | 0.37 | |
The implied average call rate is based on TRAI’s usage pattern for outgoing calls |
Usage
TTSL offers the maximum number of plans that are ideal for highusage subscribers (1,000 minutes a month), while none of the Vodafone plans are suitable. If you are a low-usage subscriber (100 minutes a month), TTSL and Idea are your best bets. Aircel and Idea involve a rental or necessary recharge, while Bharti and Vodafone’s plans have a high start-up cost.