Question : Call Drop Problem

(a) whether Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has done a survey to ascertain the issue of call drops and conducted audit of tariff plans of telecom companies to check any undue gains due to call drops and if so, the details and outcome thereof;

(b) whether the TRAI has framed new regulations/rules regarding call drop and has recommended compensation to subscribers for call drop;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the telecom service providers therein;

(d) whether the telecom operators have warned of a tariff hike in such an eventuality and if so, the steps proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) whether the absence of enough spectrum, shortage of towers and overloading of towers contribute to call drops and if so, the details thereof and the action proposed to ensure good network quality for customers?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) TRAI undertakes audit and assessment of Quality of Service through independent agencies. In view of the growing concerns on call drops and other network issues, Drive Tests were conducted by Independent Agencies in Mumbai, Delhi, in June/July, 2015. Following these drive tests, meeting were held in TRAI with the Chief Executive Officers of mobile companies to finalize action points for improving network conditions including measures for reducing call drops. In this meeting the Chief Executive Officers of mobile companies assured TRAI of improvement in network conditions very shortly. The drive tests were repeated in these cities in September to assess the improvement in network conditions. These drive tests reports show improvements in network conditions of some of the service providers. TRAI has not done any audit of tariff plans to assess any gain by the service providers on account of call drop.

(b) &(c) Yes Sir. TRAI issued the 9th Amendment to the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations on 16th October 2015, mandating compensation to the consumers by the mobile Service providers for call drops with effect from 1.1.2016. As per these regulations, every originating service provider, for each call drop within its network,

(i) credit the account of the calling consumer by one rupee: Provided that such credit in the account of the calling consumer shall be limited to three dropped calls in a day;
(ii) provide the calling consumer, through Short Messaging Service(SMS)/Unstructured Supplementary Service Data(USSD) message, within four hours of the occurrence of call drop, the details of amount credited in his account; and
(iii) in case of post-paid consumers, provide the details of the credit in the next bill.”

(d) Telecom Service Providers subsequently represented to the Authority on implementation of the TRAI Regulation as the regulation would result in huge financial impact on the operators.
After consultation with the TSPs and on examination of the representations received from them on the matter, it was clarified by the Authority through Press Release dated 12.11.2015 that-

• It is technically possible for the telecom service providers (TSPs) to implement the regulation.
• Sufficient time has been given by the Authority to the TSPs to make suitable provisions so as to comply with the regulation.
• The media reports about financial implications of Rs. 54,000 crore per year on account of call drop compensation are exaggerated.

(e) Change of frequencies of access spectrum, shift in usage pattern and shortage of towers contribute to call drops. Network optimization is a continuous process and TSPs have started optimization exercise of their network extensively.