Best 4G GSM prepaid SIM card for my new smartphone Redmi 3S(Indian version)

It may not be possible to provide a clear idea about the quality of a prepaid telecom service in Mumbai or any other region for that matter. You may not get a clear idea of how does the network perform in your area. I would advice you to opt for trial plans - if any of the telecom operators allow in your location. The best friends in this case to suggest a better SIM card are your acquaintances and friends in that particular area.

Here is a comparison of 4G networks in India.

1. Reliance Jio

It offers 4G connectivity in almost all the cities and states across India. It may be reminded that it was Reliance that revolutionised the concept of prepaid and began a tariff war.

AirTel

AirTel was the first telecom to launch 4G services in India. It could be a best choice as it provides a nationwide coverage.

Vodafone

The so called World's best 4G telecom provider started its 4G services in 2016. They have licences for band 40 and band 3 ony. Vodafone Supernet has service available in almost all states except AP, TN, WB, Assam, Bihar, J&K, North East India, Orissa.

Idea Cellular

This is the latest entrant in the 4G band wagon. It has only Band 3. They are yet to make a mark in the 4G space. Idea cellular has operations across all states except Delhi, Rajasthan and Bihar.


As far as Mumbai is concerned, it appears as if AirTel is the best among the competitors. Repeated speed tests have indicated that AirTel has kept its promise of 4G challenge. It offers you a speed of at least 30 MBps.

On the other hand, Vodafone does not offer better peak hour speeds. It has been observed that the speeds struggle to move beyond 10 mbps. The low speeds can be due to 1800MHz spectrum that Vodafone has got in Mumbai.

For Tariff plans, you may visit the official website of AirTel and Vodafone. Reliance Jio can also be a good option in Mumbai. I would advice you to test different operators in your area by opting for trial packs and check the service quality in your area.

Here are some of the answers to your requirements.

Best network coverage: There are only two networks are dominant in the Mumbai region. 1. Airtel and 2. Vodafone. Those two network have the better coverage. however have different offerings and have their own pros and cons.

Low cost high data plan: Airtel has some happy hours free surfing timings 5GB free data if you download myairtel app, and also depending on the plan you're taking. However those offers are for some specific price. If you compare the plans of Vodafone and Airtel you'd find Airtel's offering lot better compared to Vodafone. However do check out Vodafone's 850 Per month plan offers 5GB 4G/3G data and past that data limit, you'd get free low speed.

Best talk-time offers : Both these networks where you get better data plans, may not have best talk time offer. You'd have 5p/s minimum charges for plans that has better data capacity.

Have feature like balance sharing: Airtel and Vodafone both have family share plan available. Do ntoe that the prices of airtel are more flexible on their plans for this features. Also you get to adjust the data for airtel.

If you are interested in more data then Vodafone's "Unlimited (post 5GB @64kbps)" plan for both prepaid and postpaid makes sense. In such case you get better data plan. However it may not have the better call rate in that case. I'd suggest that if you are on budget and don't have many members to add in your family floater plan.

In case of Airtel, the "My plan family" and "My plan infinity" for Mumbai region has better call rate and data plans. However you need to be specific on how much monthly data you'd consume. If it's above 5GB then I don't think there is any network that can be helpful here. You have to rely on Wifi and home broadband instead to get the most. I'd suggest getting family plan and customize for the data and call. The rate per member is pretty flexible based on what you add.

Few things to note, 4G is still in it's infancy stage even for Mumbai. So you'd be using mostly the 3G bandwidth and considering you're in Mumbai, you'd get pretty decent speed too. Just do make sure to use data saver option in your Xiaomi Redmi 3S while using it and block the apps that fetch data from the background.