Aircel to make basic data usage for new customers free by year-end

India's leading mobile service providers Aircel has introduced free basic internet for all new customers, claimed to be first of kind in India.

The product has been specially designed keeping in view the dramatic increase of mobile data users, for whom data usage is as much a part of their daily lives as voice calling, Sankara Narayanan, Strategic Head, South, Aircel, told reporters here.

With this new product, Aircel subscribers will be able to browse and actively use with their favourite applications such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, besides accessing their daily need applications like banks and travel, paying of utility bills, he said.

The new product is available at Rs 144, with 64kbps for 90 days free data after activation, he said, adding that the customers will not get video streaming, video calling and online gaming por post paid customers, the company is working out on a package, since the internet was almost free for them according to their bill plan, he said.

Stating that the company, with 7,000 cell towers, has already connected 5,000 towns to 3G services, Sankara Narayanan said that the new product will allow the customers 24 X7 all day browsing, all day unlimited data use free of charge.

Aircel is targeting those 70% of customers, who were using internet less than 10 days, which accounted for 66 mb per month, he said.

When asked about introducing 4G, the official said that work is in progress and the service will be ready before the end of this year.