Reliance Jio has announced that it will offer free voice calls to any network starting January 1, 2021. The telecom giant has finally removed Interconnect Usage Charges (IUC), which means that Jio users now won’t need to worry about IUC minutes.

Jio introduced new prepaid plans with IUC minutes at the end of 2019. The concept of IUC minutes was added after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the case of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR).

TRAI will be implementing the ‘Bill and Keep’ regime in the country from January 1, 2021, which will end IUC for all domestic voice calls. “Commitment to revert off-net domestic voice-call charges to zero, as soon as IUC charges are abolished, Jio will once again make all off-net domestic voice calls free, starting 1st January 2021. On-net domestic voice calls have always been free on the Jio network,” the company said.

“In September 2019, when TRAI extended the timeline for implementation of the Bill & Keep regime beyond 1st January 2020, Jio was left with no option but to start charging its customers for off-net voice calls, at a rate exactly equivalent to the applicable IUC charge. While doing so, Jio had assured its users that this charge would continue only till the time TRAI abolished IUC charges. Today, Jio has delivered on that promise and made off-net voice call free again,” Jio added.

New Year Jio plans with free voice calls and unlimited data Jio free calls

On the occasion of New Year 2021 Eve, Jio has some unlimited voice calls prepaid plans. The Rs 129 Jio recharge plan will offer 2GB data and free voice calls to any network for 28 days. The Rs 149 prepaid Jio plan will give you 1GB data per day with free voice calls to all networks. This comes with a validity period of 24 days.

There is also a Rs 199 prepaid recharge plan, which will ship with 1.5GB data per day and free voice call benefits for 28 days. Jio will also be offering a 84-day plan, which will cost Rs 555. This plan will include 1.5GB data per day and unlimited voice calls to any network within India.

“The slowdown in Jio’s subscriber base would put the other two operators in jeopardy as they cannot raise tariffs alone, especially Vodafone Idea which has been losing subscribers for several quarters. When everyone believed that the fight in the telecom sector would shift from tariffs to service quality; Jio’s subs slowdown could likely extend the tariff fight,” says a Goldman Sachs analysts in a recent report.

The industry is expecting quick response from rival telecoms such as BSNL, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

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