Another big blow for Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea. In the process of competing with big giant Reliance JIO these operators have offered lucrative offers to customers. However, in this process, they have resorted to some violations too, for which HEAVY PENALTIES are imposed.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has suggested Rs 50 crore penalty per circle on Airtel, Vodafone, Idea for denying interconnection to Reliance Jio, because they have not given proper interconnection points to Jio.
TRAI Suggests Rs 3,050 Cr Fine on Airtel, Vodafone, Idea:
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested a joint penalty of 3,050 crores on these operators.
TRAI suggests imposing a penalty of Rs 50 crore penalty per circle for all the three operators. The total number of circles is 61 which includes 21 of Airtel, 19 of Idea and 21 of Vodafone, bringing the total amount to Rs 3,050 crore.
Penalty to be Imposed:
Airtel : 21 Circles (Rs. 1050 crores)
Vodafone : 21 Circles (Rs. 1050 crores)
Idea : 19 Circles (Rs. 950 crores)
Total amount Rs. 3,050 crores
In the letter TRAI said:
“It is evident that Bharti Airtel is in non-compliance of the terms and conditions of license and denial of interconnection to RJIL (Reliance Jio) appears to be with ulterior motive to stifle competition and is anti-consumer. The act of Bharti Airtel is against public interest “
“Non-compliance of terms and conditions of the license warrants recommendations for the revocation of the license. However, the Authority is mindful of the fact that revocation of license will entail significant consumer inconvenience and therefore in view of the larger public interest involved, the Authority recommends a penal action,”
The final decision lies with the Telecom Ministry. Let us wait and see what happens. What do you think about the penalty ? Do you face problems while making outgoing calls with JIO ? Do share your experience in the comment session below.
Also Read: Reliance Jio Is Slowest 4G Service In India, Reveals TRAI Data