Jio on Wednesday announced that it will start charging IUC (Interconnect Usage Charge) of 6 paise per minute for other networks. This charge will be applicable for the time taken for receivers to answer the call, that is till the time the call is ringing. The call, however, will remain free.
Jio recently cut the ringing time to 20 seconds on account of the IUC charges to other networks.
IUC or Interconnect Usage Charge is the amount a telecom operator has to pay to the other telecom operator if a customer makes an outgoing call to a customer of the other telecom operator. The TRAI decides this charge. Currently, all operators have to pay 6 paise per minute.
Calls to Jio numbers and landline phones will attract no such charge. Also, WhatsApp and other VOIP calls remain free.
Jio has, however, introudced new packages to cover these IUC charges:
- Rs 10 plan will offer 124 minutes of IUC minutes to non-Jio numbers and 1GB data.
- Rs 20 plan will offer 249 minutes of IUC minutes to non-Jio numbers and 2GB data.
- Rs 50 plan will offer 656 minutes of IUC minutes to non-Jio numbers and 5GB data.
- Rs 100 plan will offer 1,362 minutes of IUC minutes to non-Jio numbers and 10GB data.
Jio has asked TRAI to reduce the IUC charges to zero and this is expected to happen in 2020. Till then, Jio has passed on the burden to consumers and assures that it will be removed when TRAI removes it.
“The amendment to the IUC Regulations in 2017 was after considerable deliberations and consultations. In this background the consultation paper has created Regulatory uncertainty and therefore Jio has been compelled, most reluctantly and unavoidably, to recover this regulatory charge of 6 paise per minute for all off-net mobile voice calls so long as IUC charges exist,” said Jio.
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