
Netizens are expressing their displeasure with telecom behemoths by posting under the hashtag 'boycott jio' which has since beentrending on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The coordinated price increase by telecom giants Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone has triggered this protest. Millions of people globally have been affected by the substantial hikes in data packs, impacting prepaid and postpaid customers. The price hikes range from 10 per centto a staggering 25 per cent.
The Indian market is dominated by three telecom giants: Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone. These three together serve around 1 billionout of the 1.19 billion mobile subscribers.
"Effective July 3, the three private cell phone companies, i.e. Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, have increased their tariffs by an average of 15 per cent. The three private cell phone companies have a market share of 91.6 per cent, or 109 crore cell phone users out of a total of 119 crore cell phone users as of December 31, 2023," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said.
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"Two things stand out: firstly, the date of the announcement of the increase of tariffs, appears to be clearly in consultation with each other by the three private cell phone companies. Secondly, the date of effective implementation of increased tariffs is the same," he added.
"Wasn't the increase in cell phone prices withheld till the conclusion of the Parliament elections as the Modi government would have been questioned on the justification for burdening 109 crore cell phone users and fleecing them of an extra Rs 34,824 crore?" Surjewala continued.
The dissatisfied consumers advocate switching cell services to the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
These customers say that the price increases made by major telecom firms unfairly burden consumers while allowing for exorbitant profits.
Many supporters of the campaign have referred to Mukesh Ambani's excessive expenditures, including as costly weddings, and claimed that these expenses are being recouped from the public through more aggressive recharging schemes.
(With inputs from agencies)