Vodafone Idea, one of India's leading telecom service providers, has discontinued its recently launched Rs 549 prepaid plan, which was aimed at providing customers with a long validity period of 180 days. This plan offered a talktime of Rs 549 at a rate of 2.5 paise per minute and was removed from both the company's website and mobile app. The sudden removal of the plan has raised several questions among users, and we have compiled some essential information to help you understand the situation.
Possible Reasons Behind Vodafone-Idea's Decision
While Vodafone-Idea has not provided any reason for discontinuing the prepaid plan, there could be several reasons behind it. One of them could be the lack of added benefits the VI Rs 549 plan offered. The plan was solely designed to add validity to the users' numbers and keep their SIMs active, which could have helped Vi retain customers in the short term. However, it was not enough to retain customers in the long run. The absence of any OTT benefits, SMS, unlimited calling or data could have been another factor for the removal of the plan.
Another possible reason could be the introduction of similar prepaid plans with added benefits such as the Rs 368 and Rs 369 prepaid plans that come with unlimited calling, 2GB daily data, 100 SMS per day, and 30 days validity along with Vi Hero unlimited benefits. The only difference between these two plans is that the VI Rs 368 plan includes a SunNxt subscription, while the VI Rs 369 plan offers a SonyLiv subscription.
What Users Need to Know
If you were already subscribed to the VI Rs 549 prepaid plan, you need not worry as the plan will continue until the end of its validity period. However, if you are looking for similar plans, you can opt for the Rs 368 or Rs 369 prepaid plans that come with added benefits such as unlimited calling, data, and SMS. Moreover, the SunNxt and SonyLiv subscriptions make these plans even more attractive.
Final Thoughts
While the discontinuation of the VI Rs 549 prepaid plan may have come as a surprise to many, it is important to understand that telecom service providers keep introducing and removing plans based on various factors. The introduction of similar plans with added benefits could have led to the removal of the Rs 549 prepaid plan by VI. However, users still have several options to choose from, including the newly introduced Rs 368 and Rs 369 prepaid plans, which come with unlimited calling, data, and SMS, along with SunNxt and SonyLiv subscriptions.