Airtel Takes on Jio Fiber by Bringing New Broadband Plans

Bharti Airtel has upgraded its Xstream Fiber broadband service with new plans starting at as low as Rs. 499 a month and all offers “unlimited” high-speed Internet access. The telco has also announced an Airtel Xstream Bundle under which it is providing the Xstream Android 4K TV Box with all its Xstream Fiber plans, along with complimentary access to a list of OTT apps. The new changes come just in a week after Airtel arch-rival Reliance Jio revamped the plans for the Jio Fiber broadband service.

As per the latest revision, Airtel has started offering its Xstream Fiber broadband service through five different monthly plans. The telco has the Rs. 499 plan as the lowest in the series, with up to 40Mbps speeds. There are also Rs. 799, Rs. 999, Rs. 1,499, and Rs. 3,999 plans with up to 100Mbps, 200Mbps, 300Mbps, and 1Gbps speeds, respectively. All the new plans are claimed to offer unlimited high-speed data allocation.

However, Airtel has mentioned on its terms and conditions page that there is still a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) capped at 3,333GB post which it will reduce speeds to 1,024Kbps.

The new Airtel Xstream Fiber broadband plans also offer unlimited voice calling benefits for the customers who are using a landline phone with their connection. The plans also include Airtel Xstream access that is touted to offer over 10,000 movies, shows, and original series from OTT apps and studios. Further, the Rs. 999, Rs. 1,499, and Rs. 3,999 Airtel broadband plans are also bundled with Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Zee5 services.

In addition to the new plans, Airtel has announced the Xstream Bundle offering under which it is providing the Xstream Android 4K TV Box to its broadband users at a security deposit of Rs. 1,500, along with a complimentary access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Zee5. Airtel offered the TV Box at an identical security deposit for its broadband customers earlier as well. Nevertheless, the complimentary access part seems new.

Prior to the latest update, Airtel was offering its Xstream Fiber broadband service with an initial monthly plan of Rs. 799 (excluding taxes). The new update, however, seems to be a move by the telco to stay active in the race against Reliance Jio that recently upgraded its Jio Fiber broadband portfolio with new plans starting as low as Rs. 399 a month. The Mumbai-based telecom operator also offered “no-condition 30-day free trial” to all its new customers as well as provided a trial of its new plans to its existing subscribers.

Airtel has listed the new broadband plans on its website as well as Airtel Thanks app. Existing customers of the Xstream Fiber broadband service have been upgraded with the unlimited Internet offering. However, the operator is yet to provide a way to its existing subscribers to switch to the new plans.

Gadgets 360 has reached out to Airtel for getting clarity on how existing broadband customers would get the ability to switch to the new plans. A response is awaited.

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