Read more about Jio's free phone will hit telecom, erode revenues of competitors: Voda to DoT on Business Standard. It also called for reducing the interest rate applied for deferred spectrum payments

1. Jio's free phone will hit telecom,
erode revenues of competitors:
Voda to DoT
It also called for reducing the interest rate applied for deferred spectrum payments
The country's second largest telecom player Vodafone expects Jio's 'effective free phone' with unlimited calling
to erode operators' revenues which are already under pressure and sought reduction in various levies imposed by
the government as a breather to the industry.
"...The new operator continues to aggressively under- price its services, including announcing launch of 'Effective
Zero Price Feature Phone' with unlimited voice.
"This is likely to cause further erosion in revenue for existing operators," the company in a letter to the Telecom
Commission Member (Finance) Anuradha Mitra.
RIL Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani recently launched JioPhone, a 4G feature phone at a one-time fully
refundable deposit of Rs 1,500 per unit. Jio has slated to beta-test the low-cost phone from August 15. The
booking will start from September 24 online as well as through Reliance Retail and Jio stores.
Vodafone said there is a continuous decline in its revenue from telecom services and it has recorded further
decline of 3.41 per cent in the quarter ended June 2017.
It also called for reducing the interest rate applied for deferred spectrum payments.
"...A reduction in the interest rate applied for deferred spectrum payments is necessary to reduce a burden on
operators. Hence, we have requested a reduction from 10 per cent to G Sec rate of 6.25 per cent-6.5 per cent on
deferred payment," the letter said.