Telecom Regulator Orders Jio to Eliminate Discriminatory Tariff Practices The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has mandated Reliance Jio to discontinue discriminatory tariff plans and ensure uniform availability of all service offerings across platforms by April 14. The directive follows an investigation into Jio’s restricted access to certain plans, which Trai claims violates principles of transparency and consumer choice. Trai’s probe, initiated in August 2025, revealed that Jio had discontinued several entry-level prepaid plans offering 1 GB of data per day. These plans, priced at ₹249 and ₹199, were exclusively available through Jio Stores, while a ₹209 plan could only be accessed via the MyJio mobile app. The regulator argued that this limited availability breaches the 2020 directive requiring telecom operators to publish tariff plans across all platforms, including retail outlets, customer care centers, websites, and apps. The regulator further criticized Jio’s device-specific tariffs, particularly those tied to its JioPhone and JioBharat feature phones. These low-cost 4G devices come with exclusive recharge plans not available to users on other smartphones. Trai labeled these restrictions as “discriminatory,” asserting they undermine the principle of non-discrimination and restrict consumer choice. The authority directed Jio to restructure these offerings so they are accessible across all devices on equal terms. In its response, Jio argued that the 2020 directive pertains only to tariff publication and does not govern how or where tariffs are sold. The company also noted that certain offerings, such as first-time recharges and postpaid plans, cannot be sold online.#telecom_regulatory_authority_of_india #reliance_jio #traio #jio_stores #myjio_mobile_app
