DoT asks TRAI to add stricter benchmark in telecom service quality norms

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“The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked telecom sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to make quality of service norms stricter in order to curb call drops and improve call quality,” an official source said.

The move comes after DoT collected feedback from the public through an IVRS (interactive voice response system) call around call drop, quality of calls etc.

“Quality of service is very important for customer satisfaction and protection of their interests. DoT has requested TRAI for improvement in the present quality of service (QoS) through more stringent parameters,” the source said.

The source said DoT also observed few key performance indicators while broadly studying global best practices on QoS. “Same has been shared with TRAI today (February 14),” the source added.

The TRAI has called a meeting with telcos on February 17 to discuss measures and action plan for improving service quality, review of norms, benchmarks for 5G services, and unsolicited commercial communications.

The move is aimed at improving the telecom service quality and check call drops. It also comes at a time when ultra high speed 5G services are being rolled out across the country.

So far, 5G services have been launched in over 300 cities in India. The next generation of technology promises turbocharged speeds (about 10 times faster than 4G) and low latency connectivity.

Issues around service quality have been in the spotlight over the last few months. The Telecom Department back in December met operators to discuss rising instances of call drops and service quality-related issues, as it deliberated on policy measures that can be considered for improving call quality.

Launch of 5G services was expected to improve call quality, but instead people have complained about deterioration in quality of service.

According to an online survey by LocalCircles released in mid-January, 42% of 5G subscribers surveyed report no improvement while 19% report deterioration in call connection and call drop issues after moving to 5G services.

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Half of the respondents in the survey shared that they face call connection and call drop issues with more than 25% of their calls and 28% of them claim they have issues with more than 50% of their calls.

Telecom operator Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have been rolling out 5G services across the country. State-owned BSNL and debt-ridden Vodafone Idea are yet to roll out 5G services.