Reliance Jio to make all domestic voice calls free from January 1

Off-network domestic voice calls from Jio to any network, anywhere in India, will be free from January 1, 2021. Currently, customers are charged for off-network voice calls due to the IUC scheme.

There is good news for Reliance Jio users, the telecom giant Reliance Jio will once again make free domestic voice calls off-grid on January 1, after Interconnect Usage Charges (IUC) on those services end.

"All calls from Jio to other networks in India to be free from January 1, 2021, as Interconnect Usage Charge (IUC) regime ends," the company said in a statement.

Off-network domestic voice calls from Jio to any network, anywhere in India, will be free from January 1, 2021. Currently, customers are charged for off-network voice calls due to the IUC scheme.

Domestic voice calls on the network have always been free on the Jio network, the company clarified.

In September 2019, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) extended the timeline for the implementation of IUC in mobile-to-mobile calls beyond January 2020, after which Jio began charging its customers for voice calls off the network, at exactly the same rate at the applicable IUC rate.

The company said it had assured users that the charges would be in effect only until the telecoms regulator eliminates IUC.

The company said in a statement, "Jio stands firm on its commitment to make the common Indian the beneficiary of advanced technologies like VoLTE."