RCom drops 3G rates by nearly 50%

Reliance Communications (RCom) has slashed 3G rates under a new plan, bringing it on par with 2G data services, promising to trigger a fresh wave of data usage wave in the country.

Under the new plan, users can access 3G services at Rs123 for 1 GB, Rs246 for 2 GB and Rs492 for 4 GB. New customers coming to the company's network through mobile number portability (MNP) will also be able to avail of 1 GB of 3G data free per month for two months. The offer is applicable to existing, new users in both pre-paid & post-paid segments.

The move is aimed at making 3G accessible and affordable to all customers, and promises to trigger a fresh data-usage wave in the country, the company said in a statement.

''This is an inherent part of RCom's objective to take high-speed data services to every smartphone and tablet user in the country, without them worrying about incremental or high costs. By breaking the 3G entry barrier, we plan to bring about a behavioral change and take the benefits of quick data access to everyone and impact not just lives, but lifestyles as well,'' Gurdeep Singh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wireless, RCom said.

With a 1-GB Reliance 3G data pack of Rs 123 a user can watch three full-length movies (more than 300 MB size of each movie), watch 40 to 50 YouTube videos of video file size 25 MB and listen to 250 songs (each song is about 4 MB), it added.

RCom is also aiming to garner a 40 per cent market share in the fast-growing smartphone segment.