Reliance Jio wants to take a free ride on our network, alleges Airtel

Estimates show 0 mobile termination charge would mean hit of Rs 15,000-20,000 cr per year for sector

Leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Thursday alleged in a hard-hitting statement that the latest entrant Reliance Jio aimed to build its business by getting a free ride on the highways made by incumbents, while referring to the tussle over interconnect charges. Ever since Jio’s launch in September 2016 along with heavily discounted tariffs and free services, the telecom space has witnessed intense competition. 

Airtel said the 'bill and keep' method for interconnect, which means zero mobile termination charge (MTC), proposed by Jio would allow the newcomer to continue with its strategy of predatory pricing and ultimately throttle all competition.