Vodafone’s EVDO Data Services NetCruise Launched in Selected Cities

Vodafone has entered into the EVDO based mobile broadband market with its NETCRUISE products.

At this moment Vodafone Netcruise is available Pune (Maharastra), Mysore (Karnataka), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Coimbatore (Tamilnadu) as a Pilot Project.

If you are thinking about dual license of Vodafone, please let me clear it.

Vodafone and SSTL come into an agreement, by which SSTL’s EVDO products are to be sold under Vodafone brand, i.e. MTS MBlaze is got a new name Vodafone NetCruise! It is just like Tata Photon+ services are also available under Virgin branding as ‘vFlash’.

“Vodafone Mobile’ branded services is being offered by SSTL through a brand franchise with Mobile Commerce Solutions Limited (MCSL). MCSL will provide SSTL with designing, marketing and servicing of ‘Vodafone Mobile’ branded products being powered by SSTL.

Priced at Rs. 2050 Vodafone NetCruise wireless internet modem is a Plug & Play device which supports downlink of up to 3.1 Mbps and uplink of upto 1.8 Mbps (EVDO Rev A). It also includes a MicroSD card slot.

Postpaid Plans of Vodafone NetCruise:

Type	Charges (Rs)	Usage (MB)	Validity
Postpaid Starter	699	1280	30
Unlimited	799	3.5 GB (FU)	30
Unlimited	999	6 GB (FU)	30
Unlimited	1299	9 GB (FU)	30

Overage 40p/mb

FU = Fair Usage with Throttling @ CDMA 1x Speeds post Bundled usage

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Prepaid Plans of Vodafone NetCruise:

Type	Charges (Rs)	Usage (MB)	Validity (days)
Starter Plan	498	650	60
Medium usage	499	700	30
Medium usage	699	1280	30
Unlimited	799	3.5 GB (FU)	30
Unlimited	899	4.5 GB (FU)	30
Unlimited	998	6 GB (FU)	30

Overage 50p/mb.

Vodafone NetCruise comes with online prepaid recharge and bill payment facility with BillDesk.For more details call NetCruise tollfree helpline 1800 120 1111.

Verdict: As a long time MTS MBlaze user, I can say Vodafone NetCruise plans cannot beat MTS MBlaze plans. MTS MBlaze unlimited (throttling at 12GB) plan comes at Rs. 999 on prepaid and Rs. 899 monthly rental on postpaid. So better you go for MTS Mblaze which is pocket friendly.

May be SSTL likes to take advantage of Vodafone’s long term branding in India and earn new customers!

I also think about another second option, that MTS is going to roll out EVDO Rev B (speed upto 14.7Mbps) in these circles at initial phase and MTS’s current EVDO Rev A product range will go rebranded as Vodafone NetCruise.