Lok Sabha Question No. 1303 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-25
Subject: Penalties against Telecom Service Providers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1303 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th   JULY, 2018

## PENALTIES AGAINST TELECOM SERVICE PROVIDERS

1303. SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  has  imposed  penalties  on leading telecom operators for failing to meet various quality of service benchmarks recently;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  details  of  deficiencies  of  these  telecom  operators  that have come to the notice of the TRAI;
- (c) whether the telecom operators are functioning as per set guidelines and procedure laid down by TRAI; and
- (d) if  so, the details thereof and if not, the steps taken by TRAI to ensure the compliance of the said guidelines by these telecom operators?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d) Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  monitors  the  performance  of Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  against  the  benchmarks  for  various  quality  of  service parameters laid down by TRAI in the Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations issued from time to time  through  Quarterly  Performance  Monitoring  Reports  (PMRs)  submitted  by  TSPs  for  the service area as a whole.

From the monitoring of performance of TSPs it is observed that the TSPs are generally complying  with  the  benchmarks  for  various  QoS  parameters.  However,  some  of  the  service providers  are  not  complying  with  the  benchmarks  for  some  of  the  parameters  in  some  of  the service areas. The details of non-compliance by the TSPs for the quarter ending March 2018 are given below:

|   S.No. | Services   |   No. of instances of Non-Compliance |
|---------|------------|--------------------------------------|
|       1 | Cellular   |                                   84 |
|       2 | Basic      |                                    6 |
|       3 | Broadband  |                                    5 |

Wherever the benchmarks are not met by the TSPs, TRAI has been imposing financial disincentives. The details of financial disincentives (Rupees in Lakhs) on various services levied during the last three years and current year are as follows:

| S.No.   | Financial Year   | Cellular Services   | Cellular Services   | Cellular Services           | Basic Services   | Broadband Services   |
|---------|------------------|---------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------|------------------|----------------------|
| S.No.   | Financial Year   | 2G                  | 3G                  | Other Cellular Technologies | Basic Services   | Broadband Services   |
| 1.      | 2015-16          | 257                 | 101.50              | Not Applicable              | 51.50            | 54                   |
| 2.      | 2016-17          | 387                 | 86                  | Not Applicable              | 19.50            | 35                   |
| 3.      | 2017-18          | 171.50              | 73.50               | Not Applicable              | 37               | 16                   |
| 4.      | 2018-19          | 540.50              | 31.50               | 198                         | 4                | 26                   |

Financial  disincentives  are  imposed  for  non-compliance  with  the  benchmarks  for  both network  related  parameters  and  customer  related  parameters,  such  as  fault  repair,  network accessibility, call drop, billing complaints, termination of service, refund of security deposit etc.

For addressing various issues including call drop issues and to ensure compliance with benchmarks, TRAI has taken the following steps:

- i. Close  monitoring  of  performance  of  TSPs,  against  the  benchmarks  for  various QoS  parameters  laid  down  by  TRAI,  through  periodic  reports  from  service providers.
- ii. Follow up is taken with TSPs for improving quality of service.
- iii. Audit and Assessment of QoS are made through independent agencies. Operator assisted drive tests of mobile networks are also conducted throughout the country to assess coverage and quality.
- iv. Publication  of  results  of  Audit  and  Assessment  of  QoS,  including  for  Call  Drop parameters on TRAI website namely www.trai.gov.in for information of stakeholders, forcing the service providers to improve its service.
- v. Review of performance against the QoS benchmarks and imposition of financial disincentives for non-compliance with the benchmarks for QoS parameters.
- vi. For  addressing  Call  Drop,  TRAI  regularly  undertakes  the  drive  tests  of  mobile networks  in  select  cities,  highways  and  railway  routes  to  assess  the  QoS  and coverage around the areas covered in the drive test routes. The results of Drive tests are shared with the service providers for improving QoS and coverage in the areas identified in the Drive Tests.

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