Videocon doubles mobile data benefit, Aircel expands free pack

New Delhi, Nov 18: In a move to push mobile Internet business, telecom operators Videocon and Aircel today ramped up their data offerings for customers.

Videocon Telecom announced to offer double mobile Internet usage capacity on all schemes sold by the company while Aircel expanded its free mobile Internet service scheme to Jammu and Kashmir.

With a target to register 50 per cent data usage on its network in next six months, Videocon Telecom launched 'Double Data' scheme under which its customer can use same amount of data as subscribed by them under any scheme during night without any extra cost.

"We are confident that this industry first initiative will help us accelerate our data growth. The network utilisation at night hours is low and hence customers will enjoy good data speed, that too free of cost," Videocon Telecom Director & CEO Arvind Bali said in a statement.

Approximately 20 per cent of total data consumption on Videocon network happens at night hours and growing, with over 17 per cent data users consuming 50 per cent of their data at night, he said.

"Now if a customer has subscribed to 1 GB data pack, he or she can use another 1 GB during night hours which is starting midnight to 7 AM without paying extra money. Last year we grew our data business by 126 per cent. This initiative along with other micro-marketing initiatives on data will for sure help us surpass our growth of last year," Bali said.

In October, Airtel had announced to credit back 50 per cent of data, be it 2G ,3G or 4G, that its customer will consume, between 12 AM to 6 AM, every morning.

Aircel, on the other hand, expanded its 'Free Basic Internet' service in Jammu and Kashmir for new customers and unlimited access to 3G Internet for Rs 9 per day.

Under Free Basic Internet scheme, Aircel provides download speed of 64 kb per second which can support access to e-mails, instant messengers for text messages and access to some basic websites.

"We firmly believe that Internet is for all and through our constant efforts of innovating products and services, we aim to make Aircel a gateway to the Internet for many," Aircel's Regional Business Head for North, Anil Gupta said.

Aircel already operates its Free Basic Internet scheme in Tamil Nadu.

PTI