The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Thursday said that Reliance Jio Infocomm can offer its introductory benefits only to users who subscribe to the company before December 3, Business Standard reported. The regulator further said that the Mukesh Ambani-owned company’s existing tariffs were not predatory and discriminatory. Trai’s order came after incumbent telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India on October 1 sought a clarification from the body on whether Jio flouted norms by offering free voice calls for life.

Under the terms of the company's offer, customers who subscribe to Reliance Jio before December 3 will be able to avail of its introductory Jio Welcome Offer of free voice calls and data till December 31. Those who subscribe after that will have to pay the tariffs Jio subsequently announced. Trai said that the company’s revised free services plan was consistent with its guidelines.

However, Jio said that voice calls on its network will remain free for life even though the company’s Welcome Offer will now end on December 3, according to The Financial Express. The company further said that it will consider extending the length of its free services period “in case its subscribers are not able to get adequate experience of seamless connectivity across network because of interconnection congestion”.

Telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India had pointed out that Jio’s offer of free voice calls and a data pack from September 5 till the end of the year was a violation of Trai’s rule on a three-month cap for promotional plans.

The company’s commercial launch on September 5 and its offers had triggered a tariff war among telecom operators in India. However, it drew criticism soon after its launch with an abysmal call drop rate, which it blamed other service providers for for not providing adequate interconnection points.