Lok Sabha Question No. 1454 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-27
Subject: Resolution of Call Drop
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: RAJESH PANDEY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1454

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH      DECEMBER, 2017

## RESOLUTION OF CALL DROP

1454.   SHRI RAJESH PANDEY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the problem of call drop is still  persisting  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof  including  the  number  of  instances  of  call  drop  in  percentage  terms  reported  by  the customers  of  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSP)  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  the current year, TSP-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has started/proposed to start a consumer helpline to resolve the problem of call drop and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the overall steps taken by the Government to resolve the menace of call drop?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) The problem of call drop has been reported by the subscribers from time to time and as per the measures taken by the Government, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), it has been resolved to a significant extent.

The total number of Call drop/ Improper Network Coverage complaints received in the Department  of  Telecommunications  during  the  last  three  years  and  current  year  i.e.  from  1 st January 2014 to 18 th  December, 2017 is as per details in Annexure - I.

The total number of Call drop/ Improper Network Coverage complaints received in the TRAI during the last three years and current year i.e. from 1 st  January 2014 to 18 th  December, 2017 is as per details in Annexure - I.

- (b) & (c) In  order  to  obtain  direct  feedback  from  subscribers,  DoT  had  launched  an Interactive  Voice  Response  System  (IVRS)  on  call  drop  on  23/12/2016.  Through  this  IVRS system,  a  subscriber  receives  a  telephone  call  with  short  code  1955  and  is  requested  to respond  to  a  few  questions  on  problem  of  frequent  call  drops  faced  during  last  one  month. Subscriber is also requested to send SMS to toll-free number 1955 giving the name of the city, town or village where he experiences frequent call drops. To resolve the menace of call drop Government has taken following steps/initiatives:
- (i) making available sufficient spectrum for mobile services including auction of 965 MHz in 2016,
- (ii) allowing Spectrum Sharing, Trading and Liberalisation of administratively allocated spectrum as per the guidelines to facilitate efficient utilisation,
- (iii) permitting  sharing  of  active  as  well  as  passive  infrastructure  by  the  telecom service providers for achieving higher utilisation efficiency,
- (iv) notification of Indian Telegraph Right of Way Rules, 2016 in November 2016 for regulating underground infrastructure (optical fibre) and over-ground infrastructure (mobile towers),
- (v) periodic review of expansion of mobile networks and related improvements carried out by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)- leading to addition of around 6.35 lakh  additional  Base  Transceiver  Stations  on  aggregate  basis  for  2G/3G/4G services during the period- July 2015 to November 2017.

## TSP wise Grievances Booked on CPGRMS Portal

| S.N.   | Telecom Service Provider   | Complaints received in percentage terms regarding Call Drop / Improper Network Coverage   | Complaints received in percentage terms regarding Call Drop / Improper Network Coverage   | Complaints received in percentage terms regarding Call Drop / Improper Network Coverage   | Complaints received in percentage terms regarding Call Drop / Improper Network Coverage   |
|--------|----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        |                            | 2014 (1 st Jan-31 st Dec)                                                                 | 2015 (1 st Jan-31 st Dec)                                                                 | 2016 (1 st Jan-31 st Dec)                                                                 | 2017 (1 st Jan-18 th Dec)                                                                 |
| 1      | Aircel Cellular            | 4.3%                                                                                      | 3.2%                                                                                      | 3.3%                                                                                      | 1.3%                                                                                      |
| 2      | Bharti Airtel              | 18.7%                                                                                     | 28.5%                                                                                     | 22.7%                                                                                     | 25.2%                                                                                     |
| 3      | BSNL                       | 27.9%                                                                                     | 21.1%                                                                                     | 29.3%                                                                                     | 25.5%                                                                                     |
| 4      | Idea Cellular              | 6.4%                                                                                      | 7.7%                                                                                      | 9.3%                                                                                      | 6.7%                                                                                      |
| 5      | MTNL                       | 6.4%                                                                                      | 4.1%                                                                                      | 4%                                                                                        | 5.2%                                                                                      |
| 6      | Reliance Communications    | 21.6%                                                                                     | 18.6%                                                                                     | 14.2%                                                                                     | 6.6%                                                                                      |
| 7      | Reliance Jio Infocom       | 0%                                                                                        | 0%                                                                                        | 3.8%                                                                                      | 18.8%                                                                                     |
| 8      | Vodafone Essar Ltd.        | 14.4%                                                                                     | 16.4%                                                                                     | 12.8%                                                                                     | 10.3%                                                                                     |

## Service provider wise complaints in percentage terms relating to Call drop received by the TRAI:

|   S. N. | Name of Service Provider   | 2014   | 2015   | 2016   | 2017 (1.1.17 to 18.12.17)   |
|---------|----------------------------|--------|--------|--------|-----------------------------|
|       1 | MTNL                       | 0%     | 2%     | 1%     | 1.5%                        |
|       2 | BSNL                       | 24%    | 9%     | 4%     | 1.5%                        |
|       3 | Aircel/ Dishnet            | 6%     | 5%     | 2%     | 0.5%                        |
|       4 | Airtel                     | 17%    | 27%    | 40%    | 48.2%                       |
|       5 | Loop                       | 3%     | 0%     | 0%     | 0%                          |
|       6 | Idea                       | 13%    | 10%    | 13%    | 12.3%                       |
|       7 | R.CoM                      | 19%    | 13%    | 12%    | 7%                          |
|       8 | MTS                        | 0%     | 2%     | 0%     | 0.2%                        |
|       9 | TTSL                       | 3%     | 3%     | 3%     | 0.7%                        |
|      10 | Uninor/Telenor             | 0%     | 2%     | 1%     | 0.5%                        |
|      11 | Vodafone                   | 16%    | 29%    | 23%    | 20.8%                       |
|      12 | Videocon                   | 0%     | 1%     | 0%     | 0%                          |
|      13 | Rel. Jio                   | 0%     | 0%     | 0%     | 6.5%                        |

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## Annexure-I