RCom to offer iPad data plan

With just the state-owned BSNL offering dedicated Apple iPad 3G data plans, tablet PC users claim it has hampered the adoption.

It is now learned that Apple along with Reliance Communications is readying dedicated 3G data plans for the iPad 2. While these plans would be available in RCOM’s existing 13 circles at the moment, the key feature of this tie-up will be that the plans may not be bound by a contract for activation or cancellation at any point of time. “The customer will have to procure the iPad from the market, while the Reliance 3G iPad plans will be activated from Reliance World outlets,” informed a reliable source.

RCom is expected to price its plans starting at Rs 200 for 1GB per day plan and the unlimited plan could be up to Rs 1,200 a month. When contacted a RCom spokesperson confirmed the same but declined to divulge any further details. BSNL, on the other hand, offers 3G data plans for Rs 99 for a day (unlimited data download) and a monthly plan for Rs 599 that offers up to 6GB of data for free.

A private service provider offering iPad 3G plans may come as relief to users like Mumbai-based engineering student Kinant Sonawane, who got an Apple iPad2 (WiFi+3G) model worth Rs 46,900 from his father last month. “When I found that only BSNL was offering dedicated data plans starting at Rs 99, I knew it would be a task to get the data connection,” says Sonawane. Despite calling up the customer care of BSNL for two weeks now and leaving online requests to contact for iPad data plans, Sonawane has had no luck in getting a 3G plan till date. Sonawane has been using the iPad 2 with WiFi connection in his house and one free WiFi connection offered in his college campus.

Apple iPad 2 sports a new design that is pegged to be 33 per cent thinner and up to 15 per cent lighter than the original iPad, and also has a 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. A dual-core A5 processor and two cameras, a front-facing VGA cameras add to the tablet PC.