Mumbai: The recharge reminder arrives every three months. Jio has tried to delete it for three years.
The company launched a Rs 10,000 prepaid plan nationwide on November 7 with 36 months of validity. For that one payment, a subscriber gets unlimited voice calls across networks, 2.5GB of high-speed data a day, unlimited 5G data and 100 SMS a day.
Three digital services are bundled in. JioHotstar Mobile + Hollywood brings live sport, Hotstar Originals and Hollywood titles. Canva Pro Lite runs for 12 months. JioAICloud adds 50GB of storage.
One detail matters when comparing. The Canva benefit lasts only a year, while the mobile benefits run the full 36 months.
Recharges can be made through the MyJio app, the Jio website, authorised Jio stores, retail outlets and partner recharge points.
Jio says the plan is aimed at subscribers who would rather pay once and stop thinking about renewals, and that the price and benefits are locked for the entire period.
The arithmetic is simple enough for a customer. Rs 10,000 over 36 months works out to about Rs 278 a month, for roughly 75GB of data a month.
The risk sits in the length of the commitment. Three years is a long time in Indian telecom, where tariffs have moved repeatedly. Jio says the plan's terms hold for its validity, but subscribers should read the fine print on what happens to the remaining balance if they port their number out mid-term, and on whether future services will be included.
Long-validity packs are not new to the market. A three-year prepaid plan at this price is.
The launch lands just before Diwali, when household spending turns toward bulk purchases and a single large payment can look cheaper than a monthly bill.
Unlimited 5G has become a stronger selling point as coverage has widened, and Jio says 5G data on this plan carries no cap.