BSNL has left many of its prepaid users disappointed with a major change to one of its most popular recharge plans. The government-run telecom operator has significantly reduced the benefits of its ₹197 prepaid plan, prompting users to consider switching to other networks.
Earlier, this plan offered a solid combination of 70 days validity, 2GB of daily data, unlimited voice calling for 15 days, and 100 SMS/day. That totaled up to 140GB of high-speed data over the entire period. But now, things have changed dramatically.
As per the official BSNL website, the revised plan now comes with just 54 days validity, 300 minutes of voice calling, a mere 4GB total data for the full period, and 100 SMS. Once the 4GB data is used, internet access will continue at a throttled speed of 40kbps.
What’s the impact?
This means users have gone from 2GB of data per day to just 4GB across 54 days — a drastic reduction. Also, unlimited voice calling has been dropped in favor of a 300-minute limit. Even Zing Music, which was bundled earlier for 15 days, has been removed.
Why is BSNL doing this?
The company recently posted a profit of ₹280 crore in Q4 of FY 2024-25, a notable turnaround from its ₹849 crore loss in the same period last year. During this quarter, BSNL invested ₹15,324 crore in infrastructure and ₹10,698 crore in spectrum as part of its focus on 4G and fiber expansion. The trimming of benefits might be a part of its strategy to increase revenue as it prepares for a larger 4G rollout.
While these steps may support long-term goals, customers who relied on this affordable plan just to keep their number active or to meet basic needs may now look toward alternatives from private telecom operators.
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