Telcos miss deadline on user location tracking !!
Telecom companies have missed the May-end deadline to comply with regulatory norms on detection of accurate user location and cited huge cost and technology unavailability as reasons for not meeting the target.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) had amended licence conditions of telecom service providers and asked them to provide location details of users as part of call data records.
According to the target set by the DoT, law enforcement agencies should be able to track 30 per cent mobile users in urban areas within 50 metres of the location pointed out by the telecom operator.
According to S.C. Khanna, Secretary-General of the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India, representative body of dual technology and CDMA operators, “Service providers have made efforts and even after detailed discussions and interaction with various vendors providing such services… (but) have not found any vendor, who is ready to commit the phase-wise implementation of LBS as enunciated by DoT.”
Mr. Mathews said the technology will cost to the tune of $2-3 billion and industry wants the cost should be borne by the government as it is for the national security purpose.
“It is a massive cost. Our member service providers will facilitate deployment of equipment but they cannot incur those cost which should be borne by the government in the interest of national security,” Mr. Mathews said.
A DoT official, however, said that vendors have quoted around $1 per user for the technology that needs to be deployed.
Mr. Mathews also said the department should first test the technology of vendors and there should be consensus between law enforcement agencies, DoT and the industry before its deployment.
