Question : Call Drops

(a) whether Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended in October, 2015 to levy penalty on all the telecom companies in case of call drop from 1st January, 2016 and if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

(b) whether the Government has issued show cause notices to the erring telecom firms for call drop violations recently and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has been receiving many complaints about the issue and if so, the details thereof during the last three years;

(d) whether the Government has any compensatory provision for the customers on the call drop issue;

(e) if so, the details thereof along with compensation per call drop to be paid by the TSP; and

(f) whether the provision of informing their subscribers by the telecom companies regarding compensation has also been made in this regard and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS &
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has not recommended in October 2015 to levy penalty on all the telecom companies in case of call drop from 1st January 2016. However, vide Telecom Consumers Protection (9th Amendment) Regulation, 2015 dated 16th October 2015, TRAI had mandated compensation to consumers of mobile services at the rate of Rs. 1/- per drop call, subject to a maximum of Rs. 3/- per day per subscriber by the concerned TSP and also (i) provide the calling consumer, through SMS/USSD message, within four hours of the occurrence of call drop, the details of amount in his account; and (ii) in case of post-paid consumers, provide the details of the credit in the next bill. However, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has set aside the regulation vide Order dated 11th May, 2016.

(b) M/s Idea has been issued show cause notices in respect of four License Service Areas (LSAs) i.e. Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & North East and M/s Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been issued show cause notice in respect of one LSA i.e. West Bengal for the quarter ending September 2018. The notices have been issued to M/s Idea & M/s BSNL on 18th January 2019.

(c) The number of incidents of call drops reported through Centralised Public Grievance Redressal And Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) to Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for the last three years is given at Annexure-I. TRAI has also received 575 complaints in 2016, 488 complaints in 2017 & 1109 complaints in 2018 on Call Drops.

(d) to (f) The Government does not have any such provisions, in view of response at (a) above.