Dropped calls are a big problem in India due to economics and sheer geography presenting hindrances to robust mobile network deployments. Now, national regulator Trai is considering penalizing operators for each dropped call.
The Times of India reports Trai is considering penalizing operators 1 rupee (1.5 cents), for each dropped call.
Calling the issue a “menace,” The Times of India said the problem is on the radars of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Mobile World Live, citing Trai research, reports the number of dropped calls during peak hours has almost doubled in the last year.
None of the operators in Mumbai are meeting benchmarks, Mobile World Live reports, while operators Airtel, Vodafone and Aircel are “substandard;” Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices “have made some improvements.”
In August, top telco executives from a dozen Indian operators gathered for a press conference to address the country’s dropped call problem, claiming the issue is due to inadequate investment in the telecom industry.
Himanshu Kapania, managing director at Idea Cellular, said that 70,000 tower sites were activated from January to July this year.
“To grow in voice and data services, India needs another 100,000 towers over the next 24 months,” Kapania added.
According to Kapania, Indian operators have jointly invested $22.4 billion since the beginning of 2014.
In an effort to get everyone on the same page, the Indian operators are urging the state government to implement guidelines laid out by the country’s Department of Telecoms in all Indian states. They also want the Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring body of the state to protect the telcos against coercive action on cell sites.
“Telecommunications is a public utility service and has emerged as the backbone of the country in times of peace and crisis,” said Rajan S. Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India. “However, challenges posed by the actions of local authorities across the country act as a hindrance to the further growth of the industry and will act as an obstacle to providing seamless connectivity to the subscribers.”
