At a time when leading telecom operators are talking about the consolidation in telecom sector, Idea Cellular, India’s 3rd largest mobile operator on Tuesday heated up tariff war by slashing 2G data tariff by up to 90% across all 22 circles.
 
The company said that the aim of reducing tariff is to drive broadband penetration in the country.
 
Eralier this month, Vodafone India, country’s second largest telecom operator in terms of subscribers also slashed mobile intent charges by 80 percent for its all pre-paid and post-paid customers on 2G across the country.

Idea’s offer will be effective from November 15 and be available for six months. It also announced that 3G data tariffs would now be now at par with 2G across all Idea 3G circles.
 
“Idea has reduced 2G data tariff by up to 90% across all 22 circles, enabling users to avail 2G data at just 2 paise/10 KB” , it said.
 
Over 33 million existing, and new data users on the Idea networks will benefit from this move. They can now enjoy reduced data tariffs on their 2G and 3G prepaid and postpaid handsets and dongles, the company said in a statement.
 
The company said that to push data growth it has three-pronged approach - enhancing network coverage; strengthening sales and distribution channel; and offering affordable products, services and devices.
 
Ambrish Jain, Deputy Managing Director, Idea Cellular said, “The reduction in data tariff is aimed at catalysing the data adoption amongst the masses and empowering them with the power of mobile internet at an affordable cost.”
 
Idea also said that its 3G users will now be able to save upto 30% on their monthly data charges as the same tariff will also be available across all 10 Idea 3G circles, namely, Maharashtra & Goa, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Kerala, UP West and East, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.
 
Idea is also betting on the smartphone to increase mobile data usage. Some time ago the company called it the democratization of data and launched a series of 3G smartphones to drive data growth.