Jio is gearing up to bring some changes to its tariff plans. As per a report by Times of India, Telecom regulators have been seeking clarification from Jio for its free voice calling schemes. After making the changes, Jio will be reporting them to TRAI for submission.
The report states that TRAI officials allegedly met Jio executives to scrutinize the tariff plans submitted by the operator. The current Jio plan varies from the Rs 1.20-per-minute voice tariff plan filed by Jio. An incognito source commented on the fiasco and said,“The issue is under discussion,"
By the telecom tariff order, which was introduced by the TRAI in 2004, telecom operators are not allowed to launch tariffs below the Interconnect User Charge (IUC). Currently, the IUC rate is 14 paise per minute in contrast to Jio's free voice calling plans.
Other Telcos such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea Cellular have also accused Jio of engaging in predatory practices by offering free voice calling. These telcos have reiterated that they are incurring losses due to the increasing traffic asymmetry. Also, the telcos have are taking a stand for the termination of IUC limit.
Regarding the issues between other telcos and Jio, the report suggests that TRAI does not find any merit in the allegations because Jio is a debutant with a small market share. Interestingly, on its SIM card brochures, Jio has printed two paise-per-second call plan.
