Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of three new unlimited 5G data booster packs as add-ons for those who are using the 1GB/day and 1.5GB/day plans, offering them unlimited 5G data as these plans dropped support for it post the recent price hike, limiting 5G data only to those who used 2GB/day plans. This announcement from Airtel comes shortly after Reliance Jio also debuted a similar set of data boosters last week.
”For customers who are missing out unlimited 5G benefits, Airtel has launched new booster packs, allowing users with 1GB/day and 1.5GB/day plans to upgrade to unlimited 5G,” Airtel said in a release. As for the prices of these data booster packs, these cost Rs 51, Rs 101, Rs 151 and offer additional 3GB, 6GB, and 9GB 4G data on top of unlimited 5G data.
Airtel notes that these data booster packs can be activated on existing data packs to enable customers to enjoy unlimited 5G data benefits. Further adding to that, the telco also confirms that the data boosters will have the same validity as the rest of their current plan validity. For instance, if you have a 56-day plan and then activate a data booster, the validity of the data booster will be the same as your base plan and you’ll have access to unlimited 5G data (or the specified amount of 4G data per your data booster plan) till your base plan ends.
Reliance Jio launched an identical set of plans earlier this month with the exact same benefits and prices. However, in Jio’s case, it noted that the data upgrade plans are not compatible with value plans with aggregate data like Rs 189, Rs 479 and Rs 1,899 plans. However, Airtel hasn’t specified any such limitation in its data booster plans.
Both Airtel and Jio announced tariff hikes earlier last month which came in effect from July 3. Bharti Airtel emphasized that the mobile Average Revenue per User (ARPU) needs to exceed Rs 300 to maintain a financially viable business model for Indian telecom companies. This ARPU level is essential for substantial investments in network technology and spectrum and for ensuring a return on capital.