Jio marks 10 years with JioBharat 4G phone offer bundling six months of recharge

Reliance Jio has launched a new offer to mark its 10th anniversary. Buyers of a JioBharat 4G phone will get six months of recharge along with it. The company aims to strengthen its hold in the telecom sector and bring into the digital world customers who still use 2G networks.

The offer is meant for people who do not want an expensive smartphone but want to use the internet and digital services. Select JioBharat models are available at Rs 1,499. With the phone, the customer gets data and calling every month for six months in a row.

According to the company, an average customer using a 2G feature phone spends about Rs 199 a month on recharge, which comes to about Rs 1,200 over six months. The company claims that when a customer buys a new 4G phone for Rs 1,499, six months of recharge is included in that price, so the extra cost of moving directly from 2G to 4G works out to only about Rs 299. One thing is clear: the customer will have to pay the full Rs 1,499 upfront. The phone is not available for Rs 299; that figure is only the additional cost compared with 2G.

Every recharge under the offer will run on a 28-day cycle. Each cycle brings 14GB of high-speed data, or about 500 MB a day. Unlimited voice calling and 300 SMS a month are also included. The benefit can be availed for a maximum of six recharge cycles, which gives a total of 84GB of data over six months. Under one rule, unused data or other benefits in a cycle are not carried forward to the next cycle.

The JioBharat is not just a basic phone for calls. It has a 2.4-inch display and a 2000mAh battery, which gives long battery backup. For entertainment, it offers more than 500 live channels on JioTV, cricket and other programmes on JioHotstar, and JioMusic. The phone also supports UPI payments through JioPay.

The offer is not entirely without conditions. Under Jio's rules, the customer must buy an eligible device. The IMEI numbers of the phone and the Jio SIM must be linked, and the SIM must be in the phone's primary slot, SIM slot 1. The plan applies only to the JioBharat A1, B1, B2 and B3 models. To get the full six months of benefits, the recharge cycles must also be completed continuously.