Indian telecoms regulator gives Jio tactics the green light

Disruptive Indian MNO Jio keeps buying subscribers with give-aways and the telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) has no problem with that.

Rival operators see things somewhat differently and are understandably worried about the effect of Jio giving voice away for free is having on their subscribers, ARPUs and margins. It seems they were hoping TRAI would draw the line at Jio extending a special seasonal offer three months into the new year but they couldn’t even win that battle.

Multiple India media are reporting that TRAI announced it has no problem with the Jio Happy New Year Offer, as it doesn’t violate competition and interconnect compliance rules. Furthermore the offer is judged not to be merely a continuation of the freebies Jio has been bribing subscribers with since it was launched.

What, exectly, Jio has to do to violate competition rules is unclear. Maybe bundling in a case of beers with every subscription or a promise of eternal happiness to every subscriber. Apparently there is a limit of 90 days on promotional offers but it seems all you need to do is rebrand it to reset the clock.

In other news TRAI has published its November numbers for the Indian telecoms market and they reveal the extent to which Jio is kicking ass. The table below show the fast majority of wireless net adds in November were accounted for by Jio, a trend that is likely to continue so long as it keep giving voice and data away like they’re going out of fashion.