Thailand’s dtac is giving away 650,000 3G and 4G SIM cards to customers buying low-cost smartphones in a campaign to boost mobile data usage.

The operator aims to increase its data user base from 54 per cent to 60 per cent by the end of the year, the Bangkok Post reported. The country’s second largest mobile player, with a 30 per cent market share, expects to expand its data user base to 80 per cent by 2017.

The free SIM card offer runs until 30 September and applies to customers purchasing a Samsung or Samart I-Mobile smartphone priced at THB3,000-5,000 (about $90-$150). The operator expects half those taking up the offer to sign up for prepaid services.

The SIMs give users free access to Facebook and LINE for two years, as well as free phone calls valued at more than the price of the smartphone.

Dtac has 28.4 million connections, with 3G accounting for 83 per cent of the total, according to GSMA Intelligence. It added 500,000 4G connections in Q1, taking its LTE total to about one million. It expects its 4G user base to increase to 2.5 million this year.

Rival True Mobile, with a 25 per cent market share, has 1.3 million 4G connections, while market leader AIS doesn’t own 4G spectrum, but 95 per cent of its 42 million connections are 3G.

The Post said smartphones priced at THB3,000 to THB5,000 accounted for about 14 per cent of the 1.2 million units sold each month.