Reliance Jio has hit out against Airtel complaint to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against Mukesh Ambani’s company, saying that it is latter tactic to divert attention from its own violations of telecom norms. “This latest salvo by Airtel is a clear ploy to divert attention from its own violation of licensing conditions by having denied adequate POIs to Jio and the already announced censure proceedings by the TRAI against them..” said a Jio spokesperson.
Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Airtel has complained to the CCI against Reliance Jio for predatory pricing that could lead to anti-competitive behaviour. The move comes around two months after Jio Infocomm moved CCI accusing the three incumbent operators (Vodafone, Idea and Bharti) alleging that they are abusing their dominant market power and formed a cartel to deny it points of interconnect.
Bharti Airtel’s complaint was filed on February 2, the CCI has asked its investigation department to look into the matter and see if there’s any merit in the case. This move signals the raging battle between the telecomm operators of India since the entry of Reliance Jio in 2016 disrupted the system with its deep discounts on data use. Bharti and Idea Cellular are already in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal alleging that sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has been a mute spectator to violations of norms by Jio. The next date for hearing on the matter is February 6.
In its complaint against Jio in CCI, Bharti has said the company through Mukesh Ambanis’s company has created a pan-India telecom network and distribution infrastructure even before its commercial launch and is now providing free voice and data services.
