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News India Live, Digital Desk: The process of tariff increase has started in the telecom sector. The country’s third largest private telecom company Vodafone Idea (Vi) has secretly increased the prices of its entry-level 5G plans. Customers who were enjoying unlimited 5G data for just ₹299 till now will now have to spend ₹349 for the same facility. This change has been implemented especially in high-usage circles like Delhi, Mumbai and Karnataka. What changed? (₹299 vs ₹349) Vi has restructured its portfolio and shifted the ‘Unlimited 5G’ benefit from the ₹299 plan to the ₹349 plan. Earlier: ₹299 offered ‘Unlimited 5G’ with 1GB/day 4G data for 28 days. Now: Only 1GB/day in the ₹299 plan in Delhi, Mumbai and some other circles. Only 4G data will be available. For unlimited 5G, it will now be mandatory to recharge for ₹ 349, which provides 1.5GB/day data. Prices increased in these states and cities (Affected Circles). The company has taken this decision in some major circles instead of implementing it in the entire country. The list of affected areas is given below: Delhi (Delhi) Mumbai (Mumbai) Karnataka (Karnataka) Haryana (Haryana) Gujarat (Gujarat) Rajasthan (Rajasthan) Bihar (Bihar) Punjab (Punjab) Now the starting plan of 5G in these circles will start from ₹ 349. However, in circles like UP East, UP West, West Bengal and Kerala, 5G service is still available for ₹ 299. Why has 5G become expensive? Market experts believe that Vi’s ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) i.e. average earning per customer is less than other companies (Jio and Airtel). The company has taken this step to invest heavily in 5G network expansion and increase profits. There is a possibility of 15-20% increase in the prices of other plans in the initial months of 2026. What are the options for the users? If you are in the affected circle, you can check ‘App-Only’ offers through Vi App. Sometimes the company is offering special discounts on the app or additional data offers on the ₹299 plan to woo old customers.