How TRAI might have helped Reliance Jio by ending Summer Surprise offer

Reliance Jio Infocomm suddenly on April 6 withdrew the complimentary offer called the Summer Surprise offer. Under the offer, Jio had extended its free services for three months more beginning from April. This offer was directed at users who would become the network’s annual Prime members and recharge with Rs 303 as well. Meanwhile, Telecom watchdog Trai directed the company to withdraw the 3-month free offer. RJio reacted immediately to Trai’s request but there is still an uncertainty looming over the offer closure. Jio said that it is in the process of ‘fully complying’ with the order – complimentary benefits of Jio Summer Surprise would be withdrawn as ‘soon as operationally feasible, over the next few days’. This is a surprising move by TRAI as it was generally seen to be supportive of RJio’s freebies. So, what is the catch?

Reliance Jio, in its announcement, said that “Trai has advised Jio to withdraw the three months’ complimentary benefits of Jio Summer Surprise. Jio accepts this decision. Jio is in the process of fully complying with the regulator’s advice, and will be withdrawing the three months’ complimentary benefits of Jio Summer Surprise as soon as operationally feasible, over the next few days.” A close look at the statements above brings out two points- ‘in the process of fully complying’ and ‘operationally feasible, over the next few days’. The carefully worded statement by Jio suggests that the offers have not ended as of now, and will do so in the ‘next few days’. This also means that the TRAI order might not really have much of an effect on Jio’s plans to lure in more customers until April 15.

Jio announced the withdrawal of the offer on April 6, late in the evening. The offers were supposed to end anyway on April 15. If the offers are going to end in the next few days, when it is ‘operationally feasible’, Jio will perhaps get the whole weekend before the offers close on Monday. which is April 9. It is not much of a loss for Jio in terms of days. But what this withdrawal announcement has done for the network provider is that it has served as an alert to the subscribers seated on the edge. Jio’s tactic of ‘fear of missing out’ has been working till now as it recently announced that 72 million subscribers have already signed up for the Prime membership. This new announcement will trigger those who have been contemplating on getting the Jio SIM. The rest who have already made up their mind, do not matter. Interested people might not wait till the last week of an extended deadline anyway.

Network operators are allowed to announce tariffs without any prior approval from TRAI but they have to file their tariff plans within seven days of the announcement. Jio had rolled out the Summer Surprise offer on March 31 and the regulator announced the withdrawal on April 6. The move by Trai asking Jio to stop its extended free service comes at a time when the former has been under fire by incumbent operators for having allowed the latter to continue with its promotional offer beyond the stipulated 90-day period.

However, as far as current subscribers are concerned, they don’t have to worry too much as RJio has said in a statement that all customers who have subscribed to Jio Summer Surprise offer prior to its discontinuation will remain eligible for the offer.