Report – It was Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance’s complaint that Vodafone and airtel’s premium plans are banned by TRAI
Reliance Jio has applied to be a party to the case between TRAI and Vodafone Idea saying that it will be impacted by the outcome of the case.
eliance Jio had reportedly filed a complaint on July 8 against the premium plans offered by Vodafone Idea and Airtel with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Jio alleged that Vodafone Idea’s RedX plan and Bharti Airtel’s Platinum plan was discriminatory and misleading.
Jio, in its complaint to TRAI, said that the premium plans would cause deterioration in the quality of service for one class of customers by providing priority to others, and was premised on false and misleading claims being made to customers.
TRAI blocked Vodafone Idea and Airtel’s premium postpaid plans on July 13. TRAI had cited concerns over the quality of service received by regular customers as against premium customers.
Soon after TRAI’s orders, Vodafone Idea moved the Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) challenging the order. The TDSAT refused to stay TRAI’s orders and said it will take it up on July 16.
“TDSAT has asked Trai to file an affidavit in response to Vodafone Idea’s appeal. TDSAT has not admitted Jio’s application, but will take it up on 16 July,” a source told Mint.
In the latest development of the matter, Reliance Jio has asked TDSAT to make it a party of the said case contending that it will be impacted by the outcome of the case, as reviewed by Mint.
TRAI blocked Airtel’s Platinum and Vodafone Idea’s RedX premium plans that offer faster data speeds and priority services to customers. TRAI has written to both the companies asking them to detail their priority plans which are designed for certain priority customers willing to pay more.
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TRAI has emphasised and questioned how the companies were willing to protect the interest of other general subscribers. It has asked if priority to high-paying customers for those specific plans comes at a cost of deterioration of services for other subscribers.
Vodafone’s officials noted that after the directive by TRAI, Vodafone will be compelled to stop the services for customers who have enrolled in the REDX plan for more than three months.
TRAI has given the premium subscriber’s tariff protection that is only available for 180 days from the day of onboarding under present rules. “We have made it abundantly clear to VIL and Airtel that they have to continue giving services to their onboarded customers for a mandatory protection period of 180 days from the date of their onboarding, and so the telecom service providers have to work accordingly,” a senior Trai official told ET.
