Reliance Jio effect: Airtel offers free unlimited local and STD calls with 4G data at Rs 145

Bharti Airtel has come out with two prepaid offerings, including a Rs 145 pack, that will offer free unlimited local/STD calls along with 4G data.

New Delhi: In a bid to counter Reliance Jio's free services offer, mobile operator Bharti Airtel on Thursday came out with two prepaid offerings, including a Rs 145 pack, that will offer free unlimited local/STD calls along with 4G data.

While Airtel's Rs 145 pack offers 300 MB 4G data along with free unlimited Airtel-to-Airtel local/STD calls, its Rs 345 pack offers unlimited free local/STD calls to any network in India and 1GB 4G data.

Both packs have a validity of 28 days and are available for customers across the country.

Besides free calls on same network, the Rs 145 pack offers 300 MB data to customers who have 4G-enabled mobile phone, and 50 MB data to customers with handsets suited for web surfing and accessing light social media applications.

The Rs 345 pack offers 1 GB data to customers with 4G phones and 50 MB data to customers with basic mobile phones, besides free local/STD calls to any network in India.

Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio -- which garnered 52 million customer base in the first three months of 4G launch -- recently announced extension of free domestic voice calls and data till March 31, 2017. Even after March, the company would offer free calls for life to its 4G customers.

Yesterday, Vodafone announced that it was cutting the price of its 4G data by a huge 50 percent. In other words, it was offering double 4G data.

The new offer would be available on existing customers for schemes above Rs 255.

It means that Vodafone customers will not get 2GB of 3G/4G data for the for the price of Rs 255, which was earlier the price of 1GB of 3G/4G data.