As the D-day of Reliance Jio's launch draws near, the excitement is palpable among Mumbaikars. Dealers are reporting huge inquiries after Jio's chieftain Mukesh Ambani announced free voice calls and data services on its network from September 5 till December 31. The demand is so high that Jio sim cards are selling in the black market for Rs 500 and above. And not just sim cards, even application forms are selling at Rs 100.
BCCL
"I have a dual-slim handset and I wanted Jio as my secondary number, but I couldn't get it as the store ran out of stock. I don't mind paying Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 for the sim card as the 'Jio Welcome Offer' is really alluring," said Roshni, a chartered accountant. "Even Rs 1000 for a sim is nothing for the four months of free services," she added. Otherwise, a sim is priced at Rs 10-20
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A dealer said youths between the ages of 15 and 20 have shown lot of interest for Jio. "I want to switch to Jio but I can't port my number. That option is not available," complained Neil, a second year BA student. To avail the launch scheme, people will have to go for new connections.
But all are not opting for Jio as some prefer to wait and watch how the new telecom battle unfolds. People expect existing operators including Vodafone, Airtel and Idea to come out with offers as interesting as Jio or better than Jio. Already executives from incumbent players are on the field, checking people's reactions to Jio.
BCCL
"My number is covered by the company's corporate plan and so for me, it doesn't matter if the service provider is Vodafone or Jio as the company pays the bills," said Ashish Goyal, a marketing executive with a leading corporate.
BCCL
Though Jio's offer is good for customers, it is not good for dealers and distributors. "If all pre-paid customers opt for Jio, we will have no business for four months. We won't get any commissions on recharges," grumbled a Vodafone distributor.
(Also Read: Reliance Jio's Launch Took India By Storm And Here's How The Internet Reacted!)