Jio free offer: Airtel approaches TDSAT, says Trai has been a mute spectator

Bharti Airtel, the country’s leading telecom operator, has approached the the Telecom Disputes and Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) seeking an intervention into the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) order that found Reliance Jio Infocomm’s free voice and data offer to be in compliance with rules on predatory pricing. The Sunil Mittal-led telco has urged the tribunal to direct the regulator to pull up Jio for alleged violation of the regulator’s order that a promotional offer can’t last beyond 90 days, according to media reports.

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Notably, India’s second largest telecom operator, Vodafone India, has already dragged the Trai to the Delhi High Court by challenging Trai’s recommendation to levy a Rs 1,050 crore penalty on the telco for allegedly violating rules by not providing adequate points of interconnection to Jio.

Bharti Airtel has also alleged that the Trai has been a mute spectator to the gross violations committed by Reliance Jio of all the regulatory orders put in place with regard to tariffs since 1999 till February 2016.
In its petition to TDSAT, Airtel said, “Thus, despite its (Trai’s) own avowed position that the offer of “free services” after December 3, 2016 is non-compliant, the TRAI has been acting like a “mute spectator” to the continued violations.”

The telco has urged the TDSAT to pass an interim order asking Trai to ensure that telcos comply with its rules that set the interconnect charge – currently at 14 paise a minute – as the floor for retail tariffs.