Reliance Communications welcomes TRAI decision to slash IUC

Reliance Communications on Wednesday welcomed the Indian telecom regulator's decision to slash interconnection usage charges (IUC) to 6 paise.

"We welcome the reduction in IUC to 6 paise by TRAI. We also welcome the Bill & Keep model, to be effective from January 2020. The IUC cut has already been delayed by three years. With voice calling becoming free, TRAI's move will provide a level playing field," Reliance Communications said in a statement.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday came out with a regulation cutting call termination charges from mobile to mobile by over half to 6 paise per minute effective from October 1. The measure drew stiff opposition from a majority of telecom operators who plan to seek legal redressal.

The sector regulator also plans to phase out IUC by January 1, 2020.

"For mobile to mobile, termination charge has been reduced from 14 paise per minute to 6 paise per minute with effect from October 1, 2017," the TRAI said in a statement.

"Such a revision in the mobile termination charge is in line with the international trends."

Domestic termination charges are the charges payable by a telecom service provider (TSP) whose subscriber originates the call, to the TSP in whose network the call terminates.