Reliance Jio IUC explained - 1GB data per IUC top up details here & more

           

Reliance Jio IUC explained - 1GB data per IUC top-up Due to the undergoing regulatory policy changes for mobile-call-related charges, Jio is compelled to regain IUC charge for NON-JIO mobile voice calls.

W.e.f. your next recharge, post 10th October, all calls to NON-JIO mobile numbers will be charged at 6 paise/minute. You will have the option to select a suitable IUC TOP-UP voucher starting at Rs 10, that can be used to make such non-Jio calls. This recovery of IUC will continue only until the IUC charge is made zero by TRAI.

To compensate our customers for the cost of these additional IUC top-ups, we will offer an additional 1 GB of data for every 10-rupee spent, ABSOLUTELY FREE.

Jio is determined to stand by its users and continues to provide free calls on Jio’s network. To continue enjoying the benefitIRCf free calling, you may invite others to our Jio family

★ Asked some questions ★

• What is IUC?

             They call between two several networks live known as mobile off-net calls. ICU charges are fixed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and are currently at 6 paise/minute. Interconnect Usable Charge or IUC is a fee spent by one mobile telecom operator to another when its customers make outgoing mobile calls to the other off-network's customers. 

• Why is Jio charging me 6 paise per minute for offnet mobile calls? 

a. Let us understand this issue in detail:

(i) TRAI, has repeatedly since 2011, affirmed its stance that the IUC charges should be brought down to Zero.

(ii) After a comprehensive review of the IUC regime through a transparent and elaborate consultation process in 2016, TRAI confirmed that IUC for mobile calls will be ZERO from 1st January 2020.

(iii) This step of TRAI ensured that the new ZERO-IUC regime would:

A. Encourage operators to invest in new technology and bring down the cost of voice services close to nil

B. Provide regulatory predictability and enable service providers to plan their networks and businesses accordingly

C. Allow operators to launch more innovative and customer friendly tariff offerings

(iv) Relying on the repeated stance of TRAI and the amendment already made to the regulations reducing the IUC to Zero, Jio continued to pay IUCa from its own resources to Airtel and Vodafone-Idea etc. while offering free voice to its customers. So distant, in the final three years, as well Jio has paid nearly Rs.13,500 crore as NET IUC taxes to the other operators.

(v) Citing traffic asymmetry as the only ground in the recently floated consultation paper, TRAI has reopened the closed chapter on IUC

(vi) 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 of the the-net mobile voice calls so long as IUC fees exist.

So, for all recharges done by Jio customers starting today, calls made to other mobile operators will be charged at the prevailing IUC rate of 6 paise/minute through IUC top-up coupons till extremely time that TRAI actions to Zero finish tariff rule. Directly, this date is 1st January 2020.

(vii) Nevertheless, Jio stands firm on its commitment to offer the highest value to its customers, and there is no 6 paise charge on:

A. all Jio to Jio calls;

B. all incoming calls;

C. Jio to landline calls; and

D. calls prepared to utilize WhatsApp or FaceTime and similar platforms.

(viii) Additionally, Jio will provide additional data entitlement of equivalent value to the IUC top-up voucher. This will assure no growth in price for customers.

• Can you explain the issue in a little more detail? 

a. Relying on the repeated stance of TRAI and the amendment already made to the regulations reducing the IUC to Zero, Jio continued to pay IUCa from its own resources to Airtel and Vodafone-Idea etc. while offering free voice to its customers. 

b. Unfortunately, after the above order in 2017, while the incumbent operators reduced voice tariffs for their 4G customers, they continued to charge exorbitant tariffs to their 40 crore 2G customers, and in fact, expanded the rates for voice calls to through Rs. 1.50/ minute. They also charge a minimal of Rs 500 / GB for data for their 2G customers.

c. The price differential of free voice on Jio network and exorbitantly high tariffs on 2G networks causes the 40 crore 2G customers of Airtel and Vodafone-Idea to give missed calls to Jio customers. Jio network collects 25 to 30 crore missed calls on an everyday purpose.

d. This huge missed call phenomenon converts the incoming calls to Jio into outgoing calls from Jio to other operators. The 25 to 30 crore missed calls per day should amass occurred in 65 to 75 crore minutes of incoming calls traffic to Jio. Instead, the call back made by the Jio customers results in 65 to 75 crore minutes of outgoing traffic.

e. But for the missed calls due to tariff differential, the offset voice traffic is already symmetrical now for Jio. It is standing made asymmetrical accent by the other operating systems tors by keeping their 2G voice prices huge.

f. Citing such traffic asymmetry as the only ground in the recently floated consultation paper, TRAI has reopened the closed chaptr on IUC, which has already been made zero with effect from 1st January, 2020. 

g. So, for all recharges done by Jio customers, calls made paise/minute operators will be charged at the prevailing IUC rate of 6 paise / minute through IUC 

• Is Jio increasing its tariffs? 

a. No, Jio is not increasing its tariffs as Jio is giving equivalent benefits to customers for any IUC recharge done in the form of additional data.

b. The TRAI step towards reversing their ‘enacted-regulation’ on IUC compels Jio to recover termination charge of 6 paise /minute for mobile voice calls to other operators

c. This recovery of termination charge will continue only until the IUC charge is made zero

d. Recovery to be done through IUC top-up vouchers; increase on offnet mobile to be offset by equivalent data

• When will this 6 paise charge for non-Jio mobile calls end? 

             Jio assures its 35 crore customers that the 6paise / minute charge on outgoing off-net mobile calls shall continue only till the time TRAI abolishes IUC, in line with its present regulation.

• Why should I take an IUC Top-Up? Is it mandatory? 

a. No, opting for a top-up is not mandatory

b. You need to do a top-up only if you want to make an outgoing non-Jio mobile call

c. All other domestic connectivity services do not entail any additional charge

• What is the validity of this IUC Top-Up? 

a. To ensure our customers remain the beneficiary of every tariff & scheme, the IUC top-up pack does not have any validity

b. That is, you can top-up your account and retain this balance till you want

c. This balance gets deducted only when you make an outgoing non-Jio mobile call or any other relevant service