Controversial calls on predatory pricing: Telecom industry awaits clarity

As fiercely competitive telcos trade charges again, the industry awaits clarity on the regulatory domain for the sector

The narrative around predatory pricing is not new to telecom watchers. Even so, every time telcos raise their pitch against their rivals, calling their actions predatory, they make news, prompting regulators to take notice. That’s what happened this time too, but with a variation.

Telcos took turns in calling out the “predator” in a curious series of events. It began last month with Bharti Airtel alleging that Reliance Jio was indulging in predatory pricing. Airtel alleged that Jio was offering live TV channels as part of its bundled broadband plan. Jio said no and in a complaint to the Telecom