COAI's letter to Trai a deliberate attempt to subvert process: Reliance Jio

Jio alleged that top 3 operators benefited by at least Rs 1 lakh cr due to BAK non-implementation

Reliance Jio has termed a COAI letter to Trai as “deliberate and willful intent to subvert” the interconnect usage charges (IUC) consultation process at the behest of incumbent operators. The industry body had written to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) stating that entities that were seeking the ‘bill and keep’ (BAK) model for interconnections between operators are “distorting facts”. 

That affidavit, it had said, listed symmetry of traffic as a pre-condition to implement a BAK regime. Jio had earlier alleged that top three operators had benefited by at least Rs 1 lakh crore due to non-implementation of BAK by Trai. “In the said letter, by misrepresenting the facts, COAI intends to create the impression as if SC had rejected the proposal of Trai to implement pure LRIC from 2012 and BAK regime from 2014, which is totally incorrect and fallacious,” Jio said in a letter to Trai Chairman R S Sharma. COAI has said Trai gave an affidavit in October 2011 and had sought its permission to notify the regulations with the rates contained in the affidavit.

However, the SC had said petition was still pending with the SC, said COAI. Reacting to the allegation, Jio said as the main issue pertaining to the jurisdiction of TDSAT to entertain a challenge to regulations framed by Trai was still pending, the SC did not permit Trai to notify the regulations at that juncture.