Bsnl Keralas Promotional Plan 446 Features Withdrawal And Current Offers

Introduction

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecommunications company, has implemented various changes to its prepaid plans in the Kerala circle. Among these was the Kerala Plan 446, which was offered as a promotional offer but has since been withdrawn. This article examines the features of the Kerala Plan 446, the reasons for its withdrawal, and the current prepaid offerings available to BSNL customers in Kerala. The information is based on official announcements and verified forum posts regarding BSNL's tariff revisions in the Kerala circle.

Kerala Plan 446: Features and Validity

The Kerala Plan 446 was launched as a promotional offer exclusively for the Kerala circle. According to available information, this plan offered:

• Plan voucher amount: Rs. 446
• Validity: 180 days (approximately 6 months)

This promotional plan was positioned as a long-term validity option for customers in the Kerala region, providing extended service duration without requiring frequent recharges. The plan was introduced with a promotional period of 90 days, indicating it was intended as a limited-time offer to attract customers in the Kerala telecommunications market.

Withdrawal of Kerala Plan 446

The Kerala Plan 446 has been officially withdrawn from BSNL's prepaid portfolio in the Kerala circle. This withdrawal was part of a broader restructuring of BSNL's offerings in the region, which included several other plan revisions and withdrawals. Along with the Kerala Plan 446, BSNL also withdrew the following plans and STVs (Special Tariff Vouchers):

• STV 14
• STV 39
• STV 125

These withdrawals were effective from early June 2020, as part of BSNL Kerala's efforts to streamline its prepaid offerings and introduce new plans with updated features and validity periods. The withdrawal of these older plans made way for revised and newly launched options that better met current market demands and technological capabilities.

Revised Prepaid Plans in Kerala Circle

Following the withdrawal of several plans, BSNL Kerala revised multiple existing prepaid plans to enhance their value proposition. These changes were implemented with effect from June 5, 2020, and included modifications to data allowances, voice call minutes, SMS limits, and validity periods.

PLAN 485 Revisions

The PLAN 485 underwent significant changes to better serve customer needs:

• Voice calls: 250 minutes per day
• Data: 1.5 GB per day (unlimited)
• SMS: 100 SMS per day
• Plan/Freebies Validity: 90 days

This represented an improvement from the previous offering, which provided only 1GB per day with 84 days validity. The enhanced data allowance and extended validity period made this plan more attractive to customers requiring substantial daily data usage and longer-term validity.

PLAN 153 Revisions

The PLAN 153 was also revised with updated features:

• Voice calls: 250 minutes per day
• Data: 1 GB per day (unlimited)
• SMS: 100 SMS per day
• Plan/Freebies Validity: 28 days

This plan had previously offered 1.5 GB per day with only 21 days validity. The revision maintained the voice and SMS benefits while reducing the daily data allowance but extending the validity period, providing customers with more flexibility in choosing plans that matched their specific usage patterns.

Extended Validity Plans and STVs

Several existing plans and STVs received validity extensions to provide better value to customers:

• SIXER PLAN 666: Validity extended from 120 days to 134 days
• COMBO STV 349: Validity extended from 56 days to 64 days
• COMBO STV 499: Validity extended from 84 days to 90 days
• COMBO STV 1098: Validity extended from 75 days to 84 days

These extensions allowed customers to enjoy the same benefits for longer periods without requiring frequent recharges, enhancing the overall value proposition of these plans.

Newly Launched Plans and STVs

In addition to revising existing plans, BSNL Kerala introduced new offerings to meet evolving customer needs:

DATA STV 16

• Freebies: 2GB data
• Validity: 1 day

This new STV provided a short-term data boost option for customers needing additional data for a single day, complementing the existing range of longer-term validity options.

Revamped Rs. 47 Combo STV

The Rs. 47 Combo STV was completely revamped to offer enhanced features:

• Previous offering: Talk value of Rs. 20 with local BSNL calls charged at Rs. 0.2 per minute, with 21 days validity
• New offering: Unlimited calling, 1 GB of high speed data, and 7 days validity

This transformation converted the plan from a limited talk value option to a comprehensive package with unlimited voice calls and substantial data, making it more competitive in the prepaid market.

Additional Prepaid Plan Changes

Further adjustments to BSNL Kerala's prepaid portfolio included tweaks to higher-value plans:

Rs. 1098 Prepaid Plan

• Previous offering: 75 days validity with 375 GB high speed data followed by 40 Kbps FUP speed, unlimited voice call, 100 SMS per day and Free Personalized Ring Back Tone with unlimited song change
• New offering: Unlimited data without speed restriction, unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS per day, and BSNL Tunes with an increased validity of 84 days

This revision represented a significant enhancement, removing the fair usage policy (FUP) speed restrictions on data while extending the validity period, providing customers with greater value and flexibility.

Rs. 429 Prepaid Plan

• Previous offering: 72 days validity with unlimited calling, 1 GB of high speed data per day, and 100 SMS per day
• New offering: 81 days validity with the same benefits (unlimited calling, 1 GB of high speed data per day, and 100 SMS per day)

The extension of validity from 72 to 81 days provided additional value to customers without changing the core benefits of the plan.

Network Infrastructure Developments

While not directly related to the specific prepaid plans, it's worth noting that BSNL has been investing in network modernization to improve service quality. The company partnered with Nokia to roll out 4G VoLTE services across multiple Indian circles, including Kerala. This deployment aims to provide:

• HD-quality voice calls
• Faster call connections
• Improved network capacity and coverage

These network upgrades are part of BSNL's broader strategy to enhance its competitive position in the telecommunications market, which indirectly supports the value proposition of its prepaid offerings.

Impact on Kerala Customers

The changes to BSNL's prepaid portfolio in the Kerala circle had several implications for customers:

1. Enhanced Value: Many revised plans offered more data, longer validity, or additional features without increasing the price, providing better value for money.

2. Plan Rationalization: The withdrawal of older, less competitive plans simplified the decision-making process for customers by reducing the number of options to choose from.

3. Short-term Options: The introduction of DATA STV 16 provided flexibility for customers needing temporary data boosts.

4. Network Improvements: The ongoing 4G VoLTE rollout promised improved call quality and faster connections, enhancing the overall user experience.

5. Market Competition: These changes positioned BSNL more competitively against private telecom operators in the Kerala market, particularly in the prepaid segment.

Comparison with Industry Trends

BSNL's tariff revisions in Kerala reflected broader industry trends in the Indian telecommunications sector:

1. Unlimited Data: The removal of FUP restrictions on higher-value plans aligned with the industry shift toward unlimited data offerings.

2. Extended Validity: Increasing validity periods without corresponding price increases reflected the competitive pressure to provide better value.

3. Plan Consolidation: Reducing the number of plan options while enhancing the features of remaining plans mirrored the industry trend toward simplification.

4. Network Modernization: The focus on 4G VoLTE deployment reflected the industry-wide transition from 3G to 4G technologies.

Conclusion

The Kerala Plan 446, along with several other plans and STVs, was withdrawn from BSNL's prepaid portfolio in the Kerala circle as part of a broader restructuring of offerings. While the specific features of the Kerala Plan 446 are no longer available, BSNL has introduced revised and new plans that provide enhanced value through increased data allowances, extended validity periods, and additional features. These changes reflect BSNL's efforts to remain competitive in the Kerala telecommunications market while investing in network infrastructure improvements. Customers in the Kerala circle now have access to a range of prepaid options that better meet their needs for voice calls, data usage, and SMS services.

Sources

1. BSNL Kerala Revised, Withdrawn and Launched Certain Plans
2. BSNL Kerala Tweaks Rs 1098, Rs 429 and Rs 47 Prepaid Plan
3. Kerala Plan Launched for Kerala Circle
4. BSNL Partners with Nokia for 4G VoLTE Services