New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has reportedly instructed Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to clearly outline the terms and conditions for their unlimited 5G data offerings following a complaint by Vodafone Idea alleging predatory pricing. This issue harks back to 2016 when Airtel and Vodafone raised concerns about Jio’s promotional plan, which included free data for several months. Trai dismissed Vodafone Idea’s complaint, asserting that the tariffs were not below costs and highlighting Vodafone Idea’s own offering of “unlimited” 4G data plans.
While Trai rejected the predatory pricing claim, it directed Jio and Airtel to provide detailed terms and conditions for their unlimited 5G data plans. Both companies have complied by updating their terms, with Airtel introducing a fair usage policy, limiting commercial usage beyond 300 GB in 30 days for 5G unlimited data. Jio clarified that unlimited data doesn’t imply infinity, emphasizing that data usage is restricted by speed and network conditions.
According to reports, the absence of specific rules and industry definitions for “unlimited” plans allows telecom operators to offer such plans. However, Trai emphasized the importance of informing customers about fair usage policies (FUP) and potential disruptions in internet speed after surpassing a specified data limit. Both Airtel and Jio confirmed to Trai that “unlimited” does not mean “infinity,” underscoring the limitations imposed by speed and network constraints.
