State-run BSNL, which has just turned 17, will soon launch their bundled smartphone offer, which will directly take on similar bundled offers from Jio, Airtel and Idea.
This means that the era of bundled smartphones has finally dawned in India, and it may soon become a norm, rather than an exception.
But, can BSNL be able to beat the likes of Jio and Airtel, who have already declared their intentions of capturing the market?
We will soon find out..
BSNL: Low Cost Smartphones Coming Soon!
During a press conference in Hyderabad, K. Ramchand, who is the Principal General Manager – Hyderabad Telecom District made this announcement, which surprised several people because no one actually expected BSNL to jump into this new fad within telecom circles.
He said that under Make in India initiative, BSNL will launch this offer in partnership with brands like Micromax and Lava phones.
Price hasn’t been revealed yet, but experts are predicting that it would be in the range of Rs 1800 to Rs 2500 max.
He said, “We do not yet know the final cost as it is being worked out, but it will be affordable. The arrangement is with the homegrown firms as part of the Make in India initiative.”
Memorandum of Understanding would be soon signed between BSNL and Micromax/Lava for launching this scheme, pan-India.
The offer details, Internet plans and details about apps and services haven’t been revealed yet.
Will BSNL’s Entry Into Bundled Handset Scheme Be Impactful?
Given the vast reach and presence of BSNL in every nook and corner of India, the changes can be massive to say the least.
Telecom users will now get another option to choose from, and more competitors means better deals and less expenses for end users.
But the journey for BSNL won’t be that smooth.
Jio, which attempted to disrupt the VoLTE hardware market, has already sent ripples across the industry with the launch of their Rs 0 (effective price) of feature phones, with VoLTE capability.
Besides, they are also reducing price of their Lyf branded, full-fledged smartphones for luring more customers.
Airtel too has announced their plans of launching sub-Rs 2500 smartphones, which would be bundled and in partnership with handset makers. Note here, that Airtel won’t subsidize the price of the handset, like what Jio is doing.
Following the market leaders, Idea too has announced their intentions of tapping into the bundled handset market and launching their sub-Rs 2500 smartphones.
Now, all eyes set on BSNL to announce even better, cheaper and interesting offers in the bundled handset space.
We will keep you updated as we receive more details..