Bharti Airtel has become the first operator in India to break the 2GB-per-day cap under its daily data plans, offering up to 5GB per day under its various plans.
Under the new plans, customers can recharge for various denominations that allow them to get 1 GB, 2 GB, 2.5 GB, 3.5 GB, 4 GB or 5 GB per day by recharging for the right amount.
To take on Reliance Jio, the firm is also offering a long-validity 1GB/day scheme priced at Rs 399 valid for 84 days.
However, the 2GB and above schemes are not being offered under the long-validity scheme, and carry a validity of just 28 days.
However, they do signal a willingness by the operator to cater to heavy-use customers with its daily-data schemes, something that even Reliance Jio has not dared to do.
At present, the biggest daily data scheme from Jio is 2GB per day, though there has been a rumor that the company will unveil a 5GB-per-day scheme at Rs 999 for 28 days.
Airtel too is offering a Rs 999 scheme, entitling the user to 4GB per day for 28 days.
For Rs 1,198, the company is also offering a 5GB per day scheme.
Others include 899 for 3.5 GB per day and Rs 648 for 2.5 GB per day. The 2GB-daily scheme, which is priced at Rs 509 by Reliance Jio, is priced at Rs 549 by Bharti Airtel.
The packs are likely to appeal to heavy and consistent users of data, such as those who use it for work or business, or for watching video on a daily basis.
The schemes could further hit players like BSNL. The company offers unlimited plans in the same price range of Rs 1,200. However, wired Internet players have increased their speeds, and their entitlements, due to the launch of 4G wireless services across the country.
The move could also hit Vodafone and Idea, which do not have as much spectrum as Bharti Airtel at present and cannot sustain the heavy load created by big packs.
The companies are presently engaged in a merger that will increase their spectrum and infrastructure holdings and help them put up a fight with Jio and Bharti.