Technoglitch
Core Member
Plagued by the problem of call drops, telecom regulator TRAI on Friday proposed that service providers should compensate mobile subscribers for call drops and poor quality of services.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday floated a consultation paper seeking public view on the proposal.
"It appears that a consumer relief measure against call drops would be effective only if it reaches the affected consumers. These measures could extend from not charging the consumers for dropped calls to compensating them by crediting talk-time or amounts in their accounts," the TRAI paper said.
The regulator proposed that any call which gets dropped within five seconds would not be charged, and in case a call gets dropped any time after five seconds, the last pulse of the call should not be included for the purpose of charging.
'Mandatory disclosure on network capacity'
TRAI is also considering making it mandatory for telecom operators to disclose their network capacities periodically, as the regulator feels that call drop problem needs to be examined in entirety.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said telcos should also disclose steps taken to optimise their networks to address the problem.
The problem of call drops has become more acute in the last 3-4 months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too last week voiced serious concerns over the menace and asked officials concerned to take urgent steps to address it.
However, GSM industry body COAI said the issue of call drops is not on account of overall capacity constraint but on account of the operators' ability to either deploy sites in key and critical areas or shortage of spectrum.
TRAI says compensate for call drop, disclose network capacity
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday floated a consultation paper seeking public view on the proposal.
"It appears that a consumer relief measure against call drops would be effective only if it reaches the affected consumers. These measures could extend from not charging the consumers for dropped calls to compensating them by crediting talk-time or amounts in their accounts," the TRAI paper said.
The regulator proposed that any call which gets dropped within five seconds would not be charged, and in case a call gets dropped any time after five seconds, the last pulse of the call should not be included for the purpose of charging.
'Mandatory disclosure on network capacity'
TRAI is also considering making it mandatory for telecom operators to disclose their network capacities periodically, as the regulator feels that call drop problem needs to be examined in entirety.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said telcos should also disclose steps taken to optimise their networks to address the problem.
The problem of call drops has become more acute in the last 3-4 months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too last week voiced serious concerns over the menace and asked officials concerned to take urgent steps to address it.
However, GSM industry body COAI said the issue of call drops is not on account of overall capacity constraint but on account of the operators' ability to either deploy sites in key and critical areas or shortage of spectrum.
TRAI says compensate for call drop, disclose network capacity
