As per TRAI’s directives, it is likely that Jio and Airtel will discontinue providing unlimited 5G data as part of their tariff plans.
This move comes after Vodafone India filed a complaint against both telecom operators for engaging in predatory pricing.
Jio And Airtel To Stop Offering Unlimited 5G As Directed By TRAI
It has been reported that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the country’s telecom regulator, is considering directing Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to stop providing unlimited 5G data as part of their tariff plans.
This move comes after Vodafone Idea filed a complaint of predatory pricing against the two operators, which was investigated by the regulator.
Vodafone Idea accused Jio and Airtel of holding considerable market power and claimed that their 5G tariffs are predatory as they offer services at rates lower than the cost.
However, after investigation, TRAI determined that the tariffs are not predatory since they are not below cost.
While providing 5G services at 4G rates is not considered predatory, providing unlimited data as part of any plan goes against the fair usage policy (FUP) principle of tariff regulations.
Jio And Airtel Will Reduce Speed To Lower Limits
According to sources, TRAI is of the opinion that Jio and Airtel should discontinue providing unlimited data.
Vodafone Idea has not yet launched 5G services, but it provides 5G Ready SIM cards, while Airtel and Jio offer 5G services using their existing 4G packs.
As per the same report, if TRAI directs the telcos to make changes, Jio and Airtel would still be able to offer data plans at 4G rates, but they would be required to limit the data speed once the data limit is reached until the start of the new billing cycle.
The practice of slowing down internet speeds when data consumption surpasses the set limit before a new billing cycle is known as the fair usage policy.
This policy is applicable to 4G plans and should be implemented for 5G tariffs as well.
In the case of 4G plans, when users exceed their data limit before the billing cycle ends, telecommunication companies lower the internet speed to 64 Kbps.
Service providers are obligated to disclose this information along with their tariff plans on their official websites and notify subscribers when their data usage hits the 50%, 90%, and 100% marks.
