India’s largest ISP is giving away a free Google Home Mini to select subscribers.
With over 1.3 million customers, ACT Fibernet is India’s largest fiber-focused wired broadband ISP (think of it as Comcast, but with much better service). ACT Fibernet serves just 12 cities across India — including Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi — and the service provider’s ability to offer high bandwidth at affordable rates allowed it to carve out a niche among enthusiast users. The service is headquartered in Hyderabad, where it rolled out a Gigabit plan last year, being the first ISP in the country to do so.
With the launch of the Google Home and Home Mini in India, ACT Fibernet has announced that it is Google’s “fiber broadband partner” (whatever that means). What is interesting though is the fact that the ISP is offering promos where it is bundling a Google Home Mini with most subscription plans.
Essentially, all customers subscribing to its Gigabit plan in Hyderabad and Bangalore will receive a complimentary Google Home Mini, and users in Chennai and Delhi that pay for yearly plans will also receive a Home Mini for free. For subscribers in Delhi, ACT is introducing a Platinum Promo plan that delivers 150Mbps bandwidth for just ₹999 ($ 15) a month.
Here’s the breakdown of the offer, as detailed by ACT Fibernet:
I talked to ACT Fibernet’s head of marketing Ravi Karthik regarding the details of the offer, and was able to ascertain that the promotion is valid for both current as well as new subscribers. If you’re a new subscriber, you’ll have to select one of the Google Home Mini plans outlined above, and you’ll receive the speaker at your registered address within a week of activation.
Existing subscribers paying a yearly plan will have to call ACT’s customer care number and request the Google Home Mini. Provided the details check out, the speaker will be sent out after three to four days. Given that the promotion is starting to roll out just now, it is possible that not all service desk agents are aware of the offer, so you’ll have to exercise some amount of patience.
The promotion itself is valid in four cities — Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi — and isn’t likely to be rolled out to new markets. But if you’re using ACT Fibernet’s service in these markets, there’s an added incentive to make the switch to a yearly plan.