Free JioFiber Users Now Being Billed For Using the Internet

Here is how JioFiber broadband’s rates compares with the offering from its arch rival Airtel V Fibre.

JioFiber broadband was till now available as a free preview offer for those who had registered for the service, but now the free offer is gradually coming to an end, with users being asked to migrate to a paid plan at the earliest.

The company has listed a slew of plans which customers were asked to pay for, and pretty soon, all JioFiber users will be billed for using the internet service.

This change was first mentioned in an Economic Times report a few weeks back, and we can confirm the same after cross-checking with our sources. Till now, JioFiber users were asked to recharge their existing preview plan for free through the MyJio app, where the prices of the broadband plans were not given.

But that’s changing now, and if you wish to continue using its service, you’ll have to pay a monthly/annual amount to avail it.

Now the big question is, are the users getting a better deal by switching to JioFiber from Airtel, ACT Fibernet or BSNL among others? We’ve jotted down the plans offered by JioFiber and as you can see over here, the prices aren’t as disruptive as its mobile plans were.

JioFiber plans start from Rs 699 per month (excluding taxes), which offers 150GB data for the first six months, with speeds up to 100Mbps. JioFiber also has 1Gbps plans starting from Rs 3,999 which gives you up to 5TB data usage.

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Compare this with Airtel V-Fibre, which has plans starting from Rs 799 (excluding taxes) but offering up to 40Mbps for the base plan. Having said that, Airtel is giving you more data per month, something that even ACT Fibernet and other internet providers are giving.

Airtel is offering its users the option to upgrade to an unlimited plan, by paying extra Rs 299 to this existing plan.

Add to that, Airtel is running a limited period discount for new customers in Bengaluru and Chennai region, who can avail a discount of Rs 1,000 on their first month’s rent. This plan, as listed on the website (shown below) will be available till midnight on 12 December.

People on social media have also mentioned the prices of broadband data doesn’t include connection to Jio’s direct-to-home (DTH) service, even though users are getting set-top boxes and Wi-Fi routers with their connections.

As of September 2019, the telecom regulatory body TRAI, through its report highlights the top five broadband players in the country, and shows how much ground JioFiber has to make on its rivals.

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1. BSNL - 8.69 million
2. Bharti Airtel - 2.41 million
3. Atria Convergence (ACT Fibernet) - 1.48 million
4. Hathway Cable - 0.86 million
5. You Broadband - 0.75 million
6. JioFiber - 0.71 million

The latest TRAI report does highlight that its userbase growth has been impressive for a new entrant but it has not been an easy ride for JioFiber since its commercial launch earlier this year.

There are around 625.42 million broadband subscribers as of September 2019 but in order to become an influential player in the segment, JioFiber will have to improve its service support and back-end workforce to expand its network.