'Unlimited' Mobile Data Plans in India: Is There a Catch?

If you're a smartphone user living in India, now is a great time to get good deals from your telecom operator. Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone, and Idea are offering 'unlimited' data plans at reasonable prices, but we've been wondering if there's a catch. Gopal Sathe and Rishi Alwani join host Pranay Parab to air their thoughts on these unlimited plans.

This episode has a healthy dose of scepticism as we try and figure out whether consumers are getting a good deal or if the fine print is a dealbreaker. Gopal talks about the fair usage policy and why telcos need to implement it, while Pranay questions whether it's necessary at all.

Rishi then compares the current blockbuster data deals with similar deals for text messaging a few years ago. We speculate whether data prices will go up with time or whether these low prices will be the new normal. If it is indeed the latter then how will telecom operators make money? Gopal has an interesting answer to that question.

Finally we discuss the long-term impact of these disruptive unlimited Internet plans and what people should do to get better deals from their telecom providers. We also mention the impact this will have on the telecom industry and whether ultimately we could see very few companies in this sector.

That's all for this week's episode of Orbital, which you can subscribe to via iTunes or RSS, or just hit the play button below.