Jio has also named Ziff Davis, who acquired Ookla in 2014 in the complaint. According to the email statement to ET, a spokesperson from Airtel said that they have not received any copy of the complaint from Jio. Airtel has labeled these allegations as “frivolous and baseless” and reflects the frustration of a competitor that has been unable to make a leading position in the market despite offering free services and predatory pricing. The rivalry between the two telcos is intensifying as Jio has asked for trial under Sections 204, 406, 420, 465, 499 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code. If these charges are proved then a hefty penalty can be imposed on Airtel. Prior to this, Reliance Jio approached the Advertising Standard Council Of India (ASCI) terming the Airtel commercial “misleading” and done in “mala fide manner in collusion with’ Ookla. ASCI’s Fast Track Complaints Committee asked Airtel to modify the advertisements by April 11 and now, the situation is getting worse. According to Jio, there have been no modifications made by Airtel in its advertisements and creating false propaganda. It has resulted in a poor reputation of Jio in front of its customers. Even the data by Ookla has been forged with an intention to cheat and mislead the consumers. Let’s see what is the final result of the complaint filed by Jio.
