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In today’s era, internet is not just entertainment, it has become a necessity. Especially people with low income depend on mobile data, whether it is children’s education or information about government schemes. In such a situation, when Reliance Jio and Airtel discontinued their cheapest ₹249 1GB/day plan, there was a stir.
TRAI sought answer: Why were these plans removed?
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked Jio and Airtel why they removed the entry-level data plan of ₹249. These were the same plans that gave 1GB data daily and were the only means of internet for millions of users. On this, Jio said that these plans are now available only offline at their stores, while Airtel said that they took this decision based on users’ data usage and market analysis.
Data demand changed after 5G
A company official told Mint English that earlier plans with 1–1.5GB/day were quite popular, but now after the arrival of 5G, people watch more videos, use more apps, i.e. data consumption has increased a lot. In such a situation, the old plans with less data are no longer useful, so they were discontinued.
What is available now in the plans of ₹249 to ₹299?
Airtel’s new entry-level tariff plan costs ₹299 and its validity is 28 days, in which 1 GB data is available per day. At the same time, Jio gives 1.5 GB data per day for 28 days for ₹299. In this, the rates of the plans have increased, the data has increased a bit but the question is about the affordability of purchasing these plans.
Companies want to increase ARPU
According to the report of JM Financial, this change has been made to increase the average revenue per user (ARPU) of the companies. Jio’s ARPU is ₹208.8 while Airtel’s is ₹250. By removing the ₹249 plan, Jio’s ARPU can increase by ₹11–13 and Airtel’s by ₹10–11.
Common man’s concern: Has internet become expensive now?
An MP from Karnataka wrote a letter to the Communications Minister saying that the farmers of his area are no longer able to afford the telecom tariff. The UBS report shows that the price of an entry-level plan in India is 1.24% of the per-capita GDP, which is more than countries like Thailand, China, Malaysia.
Still data is the cheapest in India
However, India is still among the countries where mobile data is the cheapest. In February, Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told Parliament that in 2014, 1GB data was priced at ₹270, which has now come down to ₹9.70. Internet has become much cheaper than before, but the question is whether these cheap plans are still available to everyone or not.
TRAI has full right to intervene
Former TRAI advisor Satya N. Gupta said that companies have the freedom to decide the tariff, but this freedom is not unlimited. If consumer interest is being affected, TRAI can intervene and seek answers from the companies.
In July last year, telecom companies increased the prices of their recharge plans after almost two years. This increase was led by Jio, which increased its plans by 12% to 25%. At that time, the Ministry of Communications also admitted that companies have invested heavily in 5G networks, and that is why they needed to increase the tariff.
Earnings increased, but so did prices
According to the government statement, in the last two years, many companies have spent a lot to start 5G service across the country. This also affected their earnings, by June 2025, Jio’s ARPU reached ₹ 208.8 and Airtel’s ₹ 250.
Will prices increase further?
JM Financial says that in view of Jio’s IPO preparations and the increasing use of 5G, tariffs may increase further in the coming months. If the price increases, then even ₹ 299 may not seem cheap after some time.
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