Airtel Broadband vs Jio Fiber Broadband Plans: Know the Complete Difference between them!

Airtel and Jio, these two companies have been going at each other trying to secure the top spot in the Indian broadband market. This healthy competition is good news for us as it will drive the companies to stay ahead by improving prices and quality of their services. 

Airtel Xstream and Jio Fiber are the two most sought after broadband services. There is a lot of debate about which is better, which will give the most bang for your bucks, which service provider has better customer service etc. The confusion as to which broadband to get is very valid here. We have come up with a solution to your problems, to make your broadband choosing process less cumbersome. So let's take a look at airtel fiber vs jio fiber. 

 

Jio Fiber

Jio, as a company, is known for its added features that you are going to get with their broadband connection. JioFiber is one of the giants in the Indian scene and they do their best to deliver services, benefits and recharge plans which are more affordable for Indians. They offer a variety of added services like video calling, landline connection, 4K set-top box and much more. They offer different broadband plans too that cater to the needs of the majority of users. 

Speed

Jio’s most affordable broadband plan is its 399 Plan. You are promised a speed of 30 mbps at a measly price of just Rs 399. Other Jio recharge plans include speeds of up to 100 mbps, 150 mbps, 300 mbps, 500 mbps and 1 Gbps.

Data

Every offered plans by Jio are referred to as unlimited plans. But you must know that the data is capped at 3300 GB. If you ask me, 3300 GB is a lot of data for a casual user. But just in case you manage to exhaust your data limit, your net will not stop working. It will just operate at much lower speed than before. 

Installation and Its Price

The JioFiber installation price consists of a security deposit of 1500, which is to be paid just once and Rs 1000 for the installation (A total of Rs 2500). Jio throws in  complementary wiring, dual band router and a 4K set top box free of charge. Jio installation will also take roughly 2-3 hours and might take a couple of days to initiate the process. 

Customer Service and Reliability

To reach Jio customer care service you can dial 1800-896-9999 or mail them at jiofibercare@jio.com.    

Jio still has a lot to figure out about the broadband sector as they are very new to this sector. According to a review on Quora, they are still trying to sort out a lot of issues such as downtime and customer support. Hopefully, over time and effort they will achieve that but right now their reliability is not something they can be proud of. 

Reviews

There are a lot of JioFiber reviews available on various online platforms. We went through a ton of reviews to find out what the users experience after they make the purchase and the process before that.  Their customer support in terms of repair and installation is a bit iffy. According to this user, the experience was horrible. There are no complaints on the speed part as long as it's working. Because of their poor reliability, the network is not stable and it takes days to repair by their workers. Overall, there are a lot of good reviews as well as bad reviews. I would say it all depends on your operator’s competence. 

To sum up, Jio`s users are satisfied with 

 Number of OTT Subscriptions
 Easy on Pocket

And they don`t like:

 Unreliability and Downtime
 Unreliable customer support

Tip  : After the trial period of 30 days is over, DO NOT wait for them to come and collect everything. You call them right away, because after 60 days you will not get your refund money back. As stated in this review.

You can take a look at some of Jio’s premium fiber plans:

Price	Validity	Speed	Data	Added benefits
8499	1 Month	1 GBPS	6600 GB	550+ TV Channels, Netflix (Premium), Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Sony Liv, ZEE5, Voot Select, Voot Kids, Sun NXT, Hoichoi, Discovery+, Universal +, ALTBalaji, Eros Now, Lionsgate Play, ShemarooMe, JioCinema, JioSaavn
3999	1 Month	1 GBPS	Unlimited (3300 GB)	550+ TV Channels, Netflix (Standard), Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Sony Liv, ZEE5, Voot Select, Voot Kids, Sun NXT, Hoichoi, Discovery+, Universal +, ALTBalaji, Eros Now, Lionsgate Play, ShemarooMe, JioCinema, JioSaavn
2499	1 Month	500 MBPS	Unlimited (3300 GB)	550+ TV Channels, Netflix (Standard), Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Sony Liv, ZEE5, Voot Select, Voot Kids, Sun NXT, Hoichoi, Discovery+, Universal +, ALTBalaji, Eros Now, Lionsgate Play, ShemarooMe, JioCinema, JioSaavn

For more Jio broadband plans visit our page.

Jio ever since it has unveiled its services to the masses, it has been very positively accepted by the consumers. Same goes for Jio fiber, ever since its launch of attractive recharge plans people have preferred Jio Fiber over other broadband providers. Jio broadband plans also come for monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly plans. 

: Jio’s offering of Amazon Prime and Netflix are not applicable for trial period. And it can be activated only after the trial run is over.

 

Airtel Xstream

Airtel Xstream broadband plans by Bharti Airtel is arguably the only internet provider that can match or keep up with the offering of Jio. Airtel is one of the giants in the Indian scene and they do their best to deliver services, benefits and recharge plans fitting to their image. Though Airtel has an image of being rather on the expensive side of things but they are offering similar pricing strategy as Jio to be competitive. They also offer a myriad of added benefits in the form of Wynk music app, OTT subscriptions and more.

Speed

Airtel broadband plans have an edge over Jio broadband plans when it comes to speed. The most affordable Airtel’s plan gives a speed of up to 40 mbps at Rs 499. Other Airtel recharge plans offer speeds of 40 mbps, 100 mbps, 200 mbps, 300 mbps and 1gbps.

Data

Like Jio, Airtel also offers unlimited data recharge plans but they are capped at 3333 GB. Which is slightly more than Jio. And if you manage to exhaust the data, your net will continue to work but at a much lower speed. 

Installation and Its Price

Airtel Xstream Fiber installation will cost you Rs 1000 at the time of installation. The wiring is offered for free up to 100 meters (from the pole to your home), after that they charge 8-10 rupees per meter. The connection also comes with a dual band router and 4K set top box. The whole process will take about 2-3 hours to install. However, to initiate the process it might take 3-4 business days.

Customer Service and Reliability

To Reach Airtel customer care service you can dial 121 or 198. If you are a non-Airtel user you can follow this link to find more details. They also have a customer care email 121@airtel.com which can be used to contact them.

Airtel broadband has been in the market for a much longer time than Jio. And it does affect their reliability. Airtel offers much less downtime and constant speed. Their support staff are also ever ready to help. Airtel’s experience in this segment has allowed them to even fix minor issues with the help of their Airtel Xstream app.

Reviews

After going through a ton of reviews posted on different platforms. We must say that Airtel really has mixed reviews, ranging from extremely satisfied users to people having really poor experience with them, like this gentleman. Overall there are very few complaints regarding speed and downtime. In terms of servicing, repairs and installation, it all comes down to your Local cable operator, so we will suggest checking reviews based on your location. 

According to reviews, Airtel users like:

 Network Stability
 Low Downtime
 Good Speed

And they are not satisfied with:

 Shady business Practices
 Iffy customer support
 Everything mentioned in the plan might not be available in your location

Tip: In case of new connection, make sure that installation engineer attests that your connection can be installed at your location. And also get it verified and taken on record. As this user faced some difficulties.

You can take a look at some of Airtel’s premium fiber plans:

Price	Validity	Speed	Data	Added benefits
3999	1 Month	1 GBPS	Unlimited (3333 GB)	1 Year of Netflix Basic, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Xstream Premium, VIP Service, Apollo, FASTag, Wynk Premium, OTT Apps
1499	1 Month	300 MBPS	Unlimited (3333 GB)	1 Year of Netflix Basic, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Xstream Premium, VIP Service, Apollo, FASTag, Wynk Premium, OTT Apps
999	1 Month	200 MBPS	Unlimited (3333 GB)	1 Year of Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Xstream Premium, VIP Service, Apollo, FASTag, Wynk Premium, OTT Apps

For more Airtel fiber broadband plans visit our page.

Airtel’s added benefits lag behind a bit once you start going on the lower price range, but they still make it up with their high speed. Airtel also has the best area coverage, spanning across India. So there is a high possibility that Airtel is operating and providing high speed internet in your location. Like Jio Fiber, Airtel Xstream offers monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly broadband plans.

: Airtel also offers an unlimited data add-on for just 299. It can be added to your existing broadband recharge plan if you have managed to exhaust the data cap.

Airtel Xstream vs Jio Fiber 999 plan 

The broadband plan by Airtel and Jio for just Rs 999 is their most popular and sought after broadband recharge plan. It offers a great value for more with competitive speed and added benefits. Let's compare the 999 plan by both Airtel and Jio.

Basis	Jio	Airtel
Price	999	999
Speed (MBPS)	150	200
Data	Unlimited	Unlimited
Voice Calls	Available	Available
Added Benefits	550+ TV Channels, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Sony Liv, ZEE5, Voot Select, Voot Kids, Sun NXT, Hoichoi, Discovery+, Universal +, ALTBalaji, Eros Now, Lionsgate Play, ShemarooMe, JioCinema, JioSaavn	1 Year of Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Xstream Premium, VIP Service, Apollo, FASTag, Wynk Premium, OTT Apps

The offerings for entertainment  in the form of free OTT subscriptions Jio is definitely ahead of Airtel. But when it comes to speed Airtel is going to deliver 200 mbps speed, whereas with Jio you will get a speed of 150 mbps. Before making a choice between these two assess what your need is, if speed is what you are looking for, then go for Airtel. And If it is entertainment that you are sought after, Jio is definitely the way.

Tip💡: If you opt for Airtel, make sure that they are providing fiber connection and not VDSL or V-Fiber. As the real FTTH connection is way better than VDSL.

Airtel Xstream vs JioFiber - Overview

	Airtel Xstream	JioFiber
Speed	Plans for 40 mbps, 100 mbps, 200 mbps, 300 mbps and 1 Gbps	Plans for 30 mbps, 100 mbps, 150 mbps, 300 mbps, 500 mbps and 1 Gbps
Data	Unlimited; Capped at 3333 GB	Unlimited; Capped at 3300 GB
Most Affordable Plan	Rs. 499 plan with 40 mbps speed and unlimited data	Rs. 399 plan with 30 mbps speed and unlimited data
Installation Price	Rs 1000 at the time of installation. 100 meters wiring free, thereafter you will be charged 8-10 Rs per meter	One time security deposit of 1500 and Rs 1000 for the installation (A total of Rs 2500). The wiring is totally free of charge
Coverage	Pan India	Pan India
Specialized Plans	None	None
Technology	Fiber Optics or Cable (VFiber) (Depending on area; Must confirm with the provider)	Fiber Optics
Added Benefits	landline connection, 4K set-top box, dual band router. 1 Year of Netflix Basic, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Xstream Premium, VIP Service, Apollo, FASTag, Wynk Premium, OTT Apps	video calling, landline connection, 4K set-top box, dual band router.  550+ TV Channels, Netflix (Premium), Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Sony Liv, ZEE5, Voot Select, Voot Kids, Sun NXT, Hoichoi, Discovery+, Universal +, ALTBalaji, Eros Now, Lionsgate Play, ShemarooMe, JioCinema, JioSaavn
Plan Validity	Monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly plans	Monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly plans

Users’ Verdict

We went through a ton of online reviews on many platforms like Quora. The reviews for both the ISPs are pretty much a mixed bag of angry dissatisfied customers and satisfied customers. The end service that you get highly depends on the Local Cable Operator (or LCOs, are the subcontractors that get the license from the internet service provider and are responsible for installation and wiring). And the quality of service varies a lot from city to city depending on that. So make sure you take a look at reviews based on your location.  

Which is Better for You?

It all boils down to your needs, to be honest. If you are more into gaming and streaming, and like high speed and stable internet connection, Airtel is the right choice. But if you are looking mostly for entertainment at an affordable price without compromising on the speed, Jio might be the right choice.

If you are a student, the main thing you will be needing is an internet connection for online classes, casual surfing and gaming. You must consider cheaper options like Airtel’s 499 plan or Jio’s 399 plan. As it will be pocket friendly on a student’s budget.

Online meetings can be a very demanding thing paired with all the work that you will have to do at your home network. You must consider a higher speed that comes with more data. Like Jio and Airtel 699 or 999 plan.

Again, it all boils down to your preference and needs.

FAQs

Is Jio WIFI better than Airtel?

Jio and Airtel both offer attractive plans with their own set of features. For gaming and streaming heavy users Airtel has a slight edge as it offers great speed, paired with select OTT membership at somewhat affordable prices. For casual users, Jio plans also deliver attractive plans paired with good speed and plenty of OTT memberships at very affordable prices.

Is the Airtel Xstream box free with a 499 plan?

With the Airtel 499 plan you will be getting a WiFi router which is compatible with the internet for free. You will also get a Airtel Xstream box for free. With it you can turn your TV into a smart TV and stream contents on it. 

Is Fiber faster than 5G?

5G’s top speed is peaked at 30 Gbps. While fiber optics can reach speeds of up to 1 petabyte per second (1000000 GB) but in reality it only goes up to 1000 Gbps. 

What Happens After The Data Cap is Reached? 

It's not like you will lose internet connectivity after you have exhausted the data available to you. The internet providers will just significantly reduce the speed that is offered in the initial plan. You can continue using the internet but at a reduced speed. This type of plan is called Fair Usage Policy (FUP). 

V S Rohan

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