Reliance Jio customers will now have to pay for phone calls made to other mobile phone operators but the telecom player will compensate them by giving free data of equal value.

"So, for all recharges done by Jio customers starting today, calls made to other mobile operators will be charged at the prevailing IUC (Interconnect Usage Charge) rate of 6 paise per minute through IUC top-up vouchers till such time that TRAI moves to Zero termination charge regime," Jio said in a press release issued today.

Jio said it will provide additional data entitlement of equivalent value based on IUC top-up voucher consumption. "This will ensure no increase in tariff for customers," Jio said.

Jio said the 6 paise per minute charge will not apply on all Jio to Jio calls, all incoming calls, Jio to landline calls and calls made using WhatsApp or FaceTime and similar platforms.

The following top-up vouchers shall be available for customers to suit their requirements: For ?10 IUC top-up voucher, users will get 1GB free data and 124 IUC minutes. For ?20 voucher, customers will get 2 GB free data and 249 IUC minutes. For ?50 top-up voucher, customers will get 5 GB free data and 656 IUC minutes. For ?100 top-up voucher, customers will get 10 GB free data and 1,362 IUC minutes.

In the statement, Jio said the charge will remain in place till the time telecom operators are required to pay rivals for mobile phone calls made by their users to other mobile operators` network.

This will be the first time that Jio users will pay for voice calls. Currently, Jio charges only for data, and voice calls to anywhere in the country and to any network are free.

"The price differential of free voice on Jio network and exorbitantly high tariffs on 2G networks causes the 35 - 40 crore 2G customers of Airtel and Vodafone-Idea to give missed calls to Jio customers. Jio network receives 25 to 30 crore missed calls on a daily basis," Jio said.

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