Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is gaining new customers after major private telecom companies, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, raised their prices on July 3 and 4. These companies increased their tariffs by 11-25%, which led to many complaints on social media with hashtags like ‘BSNL ki ghar wapsi’ and ‘BoycottJio’ trending.
People Switching to BSNL
According to The Economic Times, about 250,000 people have switched to BSNL using mobile number portability (MNP) since these price hikes. BSNL also gained around 2.5 million new connections because their tariffs are still affordable for low-income users. The biggest price increase was in annual data plans, with a rise of Rs 600. Now, Airtel and Reliance Jio’s annual plans with 365 days of validity cost Rs 3,599. In contrast, BSNL offers a similar plan with 395 days of validity for Rs 2,395.
Price Comparison
The new minimum 28-day plans from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea cost Rs 199, and Rs 189 from Reliance Jio. BSNL, on the other hand, offers similar plans starting at Rs 108. BSNL also has several monthly plans ranging from Rs 107 to Rs 199, and a Rs 229 plan that includes unlimited data, voice calls, and access to some OTT apps.
BSNL’s Market Position
Although BSNL is the fourth largest telecom company in India, it is still struggling to compete with private players. The company has not yet completed its 4G rollout and currently does not offer 5G services. However, BSNL plans to start rolling out 5G next year.
5G Plans by Competitors
In response to customer needs, Reliance Jio and Airtel have introduced plans that include Unlimited 5G data. Any plan providing 2GB of data per day or more will offer Unlimited 5G data. Additionally, Reliance Jio has launched affordable plans starting at Rs 51 that provide unlimited 5G data with existing valid plans.
BSNL’s competitive pricing is attracting new customers, but the company still faces the challenge of expanding its infrastructure to keep up with the rapid advancements in the telecom industry.
