Vodafone India chops data charges by 80 percent

To make browsing more affordable for its users, Vodafone India slashed data charges by 80 percent in three circles of Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh West and Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh from Tuesday.

The company said it will roll this out nationally in a phased manner.

The new rate would be applicable for all pre-paid and post-paid customers using 2G network. The rate cut from 10p/10KB to 2p/10KB will make internet access affordable for customers who use mobile internet in a limited way, it said.

Vivek Mathur, chief commercial officer, Vodafone India, said: "The overall internet penetration in India is low while the mobile penetration is several times higher. Most consumers will discover the power of the internet via the mobile. We want to accelerate mobile internet adoption through penetration, consumption and value addition."

"This 80 percent reduction in data charges for customers using 2G network is an important step in this direction and we are confident that this move will facilitate faster adoption and better usage (of mobile internet)."