Since the launch of Reliance Jio, people have been praising the network for giving out free 4G data services. However, the grass on the other side is not green enough, as Jio itself has to stand strongly against other telecom operators over QoS (quality of service), number portability, and POIs (points of interconnection). Jio itself is currently facing a high call failure rate on its network, as rival operators accuse it of pouring a large number of free traffic on their networks.
According to the latest reports, Telenor, Idea, Vodafone, and Airtel have forwarded a request to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), asking for a formal investigation against the tariffs offered by Jio. The other telecom companies believe that Jio offering unlimited calls and 4G data till 31st December is a violation of the 90-day limit provided by TRAI for promotional plans. The telcos also pointed out other issues like interconnection usage charges, predatory pricing, etc.
The Telecommunication Tariff Order (TTO) of 2004 demands that any and all tariffs imposed by telecom operators should comply with IUC, which is a 14 p/min charge that an operator has to pay to receive calls from another network. And as pointed by Sunil Bharti Mittal (Airtel Charman), providing free voice calls would be less than the IUC charge, thus violating the TTO rule.
That’s not it. It was also highlighted that Jio is offering unlimited 4G data and voice service for free till 31st December, whereas any promotional offer should not exceed 90 days. Reliance Jio defends itself by explaining that this offer shouldn’t be considered as a promotional offer by the TRAI, but instead should be seen as a special benefit for consumers.
But when major telecom companies stand together against one company to bring it down, TRAI has to take the matter very seriously. RS Sharma, chairman at TRAI, has said that the matter will be looked into and a decision will be taken within 10 days. Looks like Jio has got a tough fight ahead which it must win if it has to survive and thrive in the market.