Note: Although this is not "General Advice on Modems", I couldn’t find any other suitable category to pst this.
This article is written after using 3G services of all leading telecom operators for a sufficient period of time. The data is for the Mumbai circle.
The download speeds are for a sufficiently long time session (30 minutes or more) and for a sufficiently large file size (generally more than 500MB). Day means 9AM-11PM; night is rest of it. Costs are for a prepaid connection and for a 30 days validity period. The speeds are achieved on a laptop using a 3G handset and/or a 3G datacard.
Vodafone 3G
Average download speed: 320 KBPS (during day), 450 KBPS (during night); Cost: Rs. 449 for 2 GB
MTNL 3G
Average download speed: 260 KBPS (during day), 420 KBPS (during night); Cost: Rs. 450 for 3 GB
Reliance 3G
Average download speed: 300 KBPS (during day); Cost: Rs. 450 for 2GB
Airtel 3G
Average download speed: 250 KBPS (during day), 350 KBPS (during night); Cost: Rs. 450 for 2GB
Tata Docomo Plus
Average download speed: 180 KBPS (during day), 300 KBPS (during night); Cost: Rs. 499 for 2GB
Idea
Average download speed: 200 KBPS (during day), 250 KBPS (during night); forgot the costing, but it was nonsense.
As you can see from above, Vodafone has a better bandwidth while Tata Docomo and Idea are the worst. Idea should anyway be avoided as their 3G network is down a lot of times and their charges are non transparent (I ported out of Idea a long time ago). The costs are more or less the same (let’s leave aside a difference of some 50-60 rupees for 30 days) for all except MTNL; because it is, well, MTNL! Sarkari companies have the deepest pockets so they may as well offer 10GB for Rs. 450!! Tata Docomo is offering 2G data at dirt cheap rates (something like Rs. 60 or so for 1GB). But Docomo has a very bad network in Mumbai so one should not go for them no matter how cheap they appear; and I am sure they will increase the prices once they get enough customers.
To sum it up, the top three 3G telecom providers in Mumbai are:
Rank 1: Vodafone
Rank 2: Reliance
Rank 3: MTNL
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Finno
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