As we reported earlier, PAN India 3G service provider – Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) – launched Data Sharing Facility for its prepaid mobile customers on PAN India basis. The new facility allows sharing of Mobile Data among a group of prepaid subscribers.
Since we publish the news regarding the launch of this new and innovative facility from BSNL, we have been receiving lots of queries and doubts from our readers regarding its features and method of activation, adding of group members etc. Now let’s see more detailed info about BSNL’s 3G/2G Mobile Data Sharing Facility.
BSNL’s Data Sharing Facility / Community Data Packs
Any prepaid subscriber of BSNL would be able to share the data usage with maximum four BSNL prepaid mobile customers selected by him. The Master Subscriber having base voice plan shall recharge with any of the community data pack through BSNL Portal (www.bsnlszprepaid.com for south zone). After subscribing community data pack, the Master Subscriber can share it with four other subscribers as selected by him. Community data packs allows sharing of data among Five persons (i.e., between a Master and Four members).
Note: BSNL launched this facility for South Zone subscribers initially and the same would be extended for all other zones very soon.
BSNL Group Data STVs / Community Data Packs
| BSNL 3G / 2G Prepaid Data Offers Exclusive for Data Sharing Facility | MRP (Rs) | Validity (Days) | Data Charges after freebies | Data Charges in Rs/MB for APN ‘bsnlstream’ |
| 1.2 GB 3G / 2G Data | 173 | 18 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
| 1.2 GB 3G / 2G Data | 233 | 28 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
| 2.4 GB 3G / 2G Data | 323 | 28 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
| 3.2 GB 3G / 2G Data | 493 | 60 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
| 5.2 GB 3G / 2G Data | 663 | 30 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
| 7 GB 3G / 2G Data | 923 | 60 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
| 10 GB 3G / 2G Data | 1223 | 60 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
| 21 GB 3G / 2G Data | 2013 | 90 | 3ps/10KB | 0.25 |
Features of BSNL’s Data Sharing Facility / Community Data Packs
- This Community Charging feature allows sharing of Data among a group of prepaid subscribers of South Zone circles. A prepaid BSNL South Zone customer can subscribe a community Data pack and share it with other 4
prepaid customers of South Zone circles. Therefore the community data pack allows sharing of data among 5
persons i.e., between a parent and 4 members. - Subscribing of community data pack and adding of Child accounts – up to 4 numbers can be done
only by Master/Parent Subscriber through the BSNL Web portal :www.bsnlszprepaid.com. - Master Subscriber called ‘Parent’ can subscribe to any of the Community data packs-Group account
through the portal: www.bsnlszprepaid.com utilizing the balance in his prepaid main account. He
cannot subscribe this data plan through other channels like SMS, USSD, IVR etc., - The master subscriber called ‘Parent’ must ensure availability of sufficient balance during the
creation of group itself. During this process,minimum one member must be entered and a data pack
must be selected. Group will be created only after deducting the corresponding amount from main
account. Subsequent recharge of the data pack may be done by subscriber depending on the usage
through recharge option (under Group account ). - This Portal enables the Parent to add and delete the Child accounts.
- Both the parent subscriber and the Child subscriber can recharge his account with other TopUPs / STVs.
- If a child is having any other data STVs subscribed to his/her own account,the Group account will
come into effect only after his/her own data STVs get exhausted. i.e. Group account will have lowest priority than other STVs. After exhausting the Group
account, customer will start draining his main account. - Child account will not have any access to view his shared data usage.
- The Parent subscriber alone can have the control over the Group account activities through the
Portal. - No specific charges will be levied either on the Parent Subscriber or from the Child Subscriber for addition/deletion of Child members into the group account.
Screen shots for Managing / Subscribing Group Account
BSNL’s Data Sharing Facility / Community Data Packs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question 1: What do you mean by ‘Data Sharing’ ?
Answer 1: A single data pack subscribed by a BSNL Prepaid customer of South Zone
is shared by 4 others – thus enabling a total of 5 BSNL prepaid customers (
including the Group leader/ parent )to share a single data pack.
Question 2: How – the ‘Data Sharing’ is getting enabled ?
Answer 2: There is a Group leader or a parent – who can subscribe to this new data
sharing in BSNL through a new feature called – Community Charging
which has the visibility only in the BSNL portal :www. bsnlszprepaid.com
Question 3: How much the Group leader needs to pay – to avail this ‘Data Sharing’ ?
Answer 3: The Group Leader or the Parent – need not pay anything through the
banking gateway; he has to ensure – sufficient balance is available in his
Prepaid main account. He can subscribe to this community charging only
through the portal :www.bsnlszprepaid.com through a drop down menu –
showing the different unique data packs for sharing.
Question 4: Can we not subscribe to this new data sharing feature through C Top Up,
SMS or USSD or IVR ?
Answer 4: No,It can be subscribed only through Portal :www.bsnlszprepaid.com
Question 5: Any extra charge we need to pay to be brought under this new BSNL data
sharing ?
Answer 5: There are no charges for creating a group / family.
Question 6: How many groups – a single Group leader/Parent can create at anytime
for data sharing ?
Answer 6: A BSNL prepaid customer cannot create more than one group/family
simultaneously. Similarly, a prepaid BSNL user can be a
member/beneficiary of only one group / family simultaneously for BSNL
Data sharing.
Question 7: Any need to give my consent, when I am getting added into a
Group/family for BSNL Data Sharing?
Answer 7: The BSNL Customer who is creating a Group/Family account, as Group
Leader/Parent will not require the consent of the users – who are getting
added into the Group/Family account. And, he has the rights to add/
remove any member into/from the group at any point of time.
Question 8: How we share the Group account – any specified share in the data pack
added?
Answer 8: All members are having unrestricted access to the shared data pack. The
group Leader/Parent is not enjoying any special priority and he is placed
at par with other group members. He cannot keep any portion of this
shared data pack for his own use. Once shared- the Group
leader/Parent’s entire data pack is available to all the 5 members.
Question 9: As a member of the Group account, Can I have access to my data
usage details for this new data pack?
Answer 9: No, it is not possible. Only the Group leader/Parent of the shared data
account can access the usage data details through the portal
www.bsnlszprepaid.com. Child account will not have any access to view
his shared data usage. However, the member will get post call notification
regarding the usage as and when he/she completes the session.
Question 10: I have started using the Community data pack and fearing that the
current pack may exhaust soon, can I subscribe to one more such
community data pack ?
Answer 10: Yes, it is possible. In such case, the Community Data pack which has the
earlier validity date will have the priority for usage.
Question 11: I am already using a Data STV in use. Now, I have been added into a
community data pack by a group leader. If I start browsing, which one
will get exhaust first ?
Answer 11: Your Data STV gains the first priority followed by Community data pack.If a
member/child is having any other data STVs subscribed to his/her own
account, the Group account will come into effect only after his/her own
data STVs get exhausted i.e., Group account will have lowest priority than
other STVs. After exhausting the Group account, customer will start
draining his main account.
Question 12: As a member of a Community Data Pack, can I subscribe to any other
Top Ups or STVs?
Answer 12: Both the parent subscriber and the Child subscriber can recharge his
account with other Top-Ups / STVs
Question 13: How many Child/Member, a Group leader/parent can add when the
group is being formed ?
Answer 13: The Group leader/parent must add a minimum of one member/child
when he forms the Group for sharing the data.
Question 14: Whether this Data Sharing facility can be availed by all BSNL Customers ?
Answer 14: Customers of any South Zone BSNL Prepaid Plan can be brought under this
data sharing with the exception – Customers who have already enrolled
themselves under SMALL CUG scheme (other than Corporate VPN) shall
not subscribe to Data Sharing. If they do so, the CUG voice call will be
charged as per plan.
Answer 1: A single data pack subscribed by a BSNL Prepaid customer of South Zone
is shared by 4 others – thus enabling a total of 5 BSNL prepaid customers (
including the Group leader/ parent )to share a single data pack.
Question 2: How – the ‘Data Sharing’ is getting enabled ?
Answer 2: There is a Group leader or a parent – who can subscribe to this new data
sharing in BSNL through a new feature called – Community Charging
which has the visibility only in the BSNL portal :www. bsnlszprepaid.com
Question 3: How much the Group leader needs to pay – to avail this ‘Data Sharing’ ?
Answer 3: The Group Leader or the Parent – need not pay anything through the
banking gateway; he has to ensure – sufficient balance is available in his
Prepaid main account. He can subscribe to this community charging only
through the portal :www.bsnlszprepaid.com through a drop down menu –
showing the different unique data packs for sharing.
Question 4: Can we not subscribe to this new data sharing feature through C Top Up,
SMS or USSD or IVR ?
Answer 4: No,It can be subscribed only through Portal :www.bsnlszprepaid.com
Question 5: Any extra charge we need to pay to be brought under this new BSNL data
sharing ?
Answer 5: There are no charges for creating a group / family.
Question 6: How many groups – a single Group leader/Parent can create at anytime
for data sharing ?
Answer 6: A BSNL prepaid customer cannot create more than one group/family
simultaneously. Similarly, a prepaid BSNL user can be a
member/beneficiary of only one group / family simultaneously for BSNL
Data sharing.
Question 7: Any need to give my consent, when I am getting added into a
Group/family for BSNL Data Sharing?
Answer 7: The BSNL Customer who is creating a Group/Family account, as Group
Leader/Parent will not require the consent of the users – who are getting
added into the Group/Family account. And, he has the rights to add/
remove any member into/from the group at any point of time.
Question 8: How we share the Group account – any specified share in the data pack
added?
Answer 8: All members are having unrestricted access to the shared data pack. The
group Leader/Parent is not enjoying any special priority and he is placed
at par with other group members. He cannot keep any portion of this
shared data pack for his own use. Once shared- the Group
leader/Parent’s entire data pack is available to all the 5 members.
Question 9: As a member of the Group account, Can I have access to my data
usage details for this new data pack?
Answer 9: No, it is not possible. Only the Group leader/Parent of the shared data
account can access the usage data details through the portal
www.bsnlszprepaid.com. Child account will not have any access to view
his shared data usage. However, the member will get post call notification
regarding the usage as and when he/she completes the session.
Question 10: I have started using the Community data pack and fearing that the
current pack may exhaust soon, can I subscribe to one more such
community data pack ?
Answer 10: Yes, it is possible. In such case, the Community Data pack which has the
earlier validity date will have the priority for usage.
Question 11: I am already using a Data STV in use. Now, I have been added into a
community data pack by a group leader. If I start browsing, which one
will get exhaust first ?
Answer 11: Your Data STV gains the first priority followed by Community data pack.If a
member/child is having any other data STVs subscribed to his/her own
account, the Group account will come into effect only after his/her own
data STVs get exhausted i.e., Group account will have lowest priority than
other STVs. After exhausting the Group account, customer will start
draining his main account.
Question 12: As a member of a Community Data Pack, can I subscribe to any other
Top Ups or STVs?
Answer 12: Both the parent subscriber and the Child subscriber can recharge his
account with other Top-Ups / STVs
Question 13: How many Child/Member, a Group leader/parent can add when the
group is being formed ?
Answer 13: The Group leader/parent must add a minimum of one member/child
when he forms the Group for sharing the data.
Question 14: Whether this Data Sharing facility can be availed by all BSNL Customers ?
Answer 14: Customers of any South Zone BSNL Prepaid Plan can be brought under this
data sharing with the exception – Customers who have already enrolled
themselves under SMALL CUG scheme (other than Corporate VPN) shall
not subscribe to Data Sharing. If they do so, the CUG voice call will be
charged as per plan.
Read More: BSNL to revise existing Prepaid 3G/2G Data STVs from 20th April 2016 on wards by reducing validity
We hope the above details would help our readers to clarify their doubts regarding BSNL’s Data Sharing Facility / Community Data Packs. Please comment your views and opinions about this new facility from BSNL.
2 Comments
There should be facility to login without otp. If you travelling abroad or not in coverage area to manage the account.
I wish to if my no is Kerala sim and my child has TN sim then is community data sharing is possible to share if I wish to add as new group?