Lok Sabha Question No. 684 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Call Drop, Network Quality and Tariff Hike
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Rajkumar Roat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 684 ANSWERED ON 23 RD  JULY, 2025

## CALL DROP, NETWORK QUALITY AND TARIFF HIKE

## †684.   SHRI RAJKUMAR ROAT:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  percentage  of  tariff  increased  by  major  private  telecom  companies  in  the country during the last ten years, telecom company, year-wise;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government regarding call drop, network quality and tariff hike in telecom services in the country;
- (c) whether it is a fact that major telecom companies are arbitrarily increasing the tariff due to the monopoly of private companies in the telecom sector and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government is formulating any specific policy to maintain competition in the telecom sector so as to check monopoly in the telecom sector and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) As per the licensing framework, there are no distinctions between major and minor private telecom companies. However, the number of total access players have varied from  time to  time during  the last  ten  years.  As  of  now,  there  are  three  major  private  telecom  companies  providing mobile services. Each telecom company offers multiple plans of various requirements of consumers.. However,  in  terms  of  similar  plans,  while  a  significant  fall  was  noticed  between  2016  to  2019, subsequent increase was observed among the three major mobile telecom service providers broadly as  mentioned in Annexure 'A'
- (b) TRAI has taken the following initiative to further improve the Quality of Service including call drop:
- (i) Review of QoS benchmark for various Quality of Service parameters: After following detailed consultation process, TRAI  has notified' The Standards of Quality  of Service of Access (Wireline and Wireless) and Broadband (Wireline and Wireless) Service Regulation. 2024' on 02.08.2024, prescribing QoS parameters and their benchmarks for both access and broadband services provided on wireline as  well as wireless media. The regulations have come into force with effect from 1 st  October 2024.
- (ii) Recommendations on 'Rating of Buildings or Areas for Digital Connectivity': To address  the  network  overage  issues  in  large  indoor  areas,  TRAI  has  submitted  the recommendations on 'Rating of Buildings or Aras for Digital Connectivity' to Department

of Telecommunications (DoT) on 20.02.2023. The recommendations suggest a collaborative approach among  various stakeholders viz. Building Developers, Service Providers, Infrastructure Providers, DCI Professionals and most importantly the users to come together to plan and build Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) along with entire Building Plan and Development activities similar to other building services such as water, electricity, fire and safety services etc.

(iii) Regulations on Rating of properties for Digital Connectivity: TRAI  in its recommendations dated 20.02.2023 has also suggested a framework for rating of buildings to nudge the property managers. Accordingly, TRAI has notified 'The Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024' on 25 th  October, 2024 prescribing a framework for  r5ating of  buildings of properties for digital connectivity to  promote creation of good digital connectivity through a collaborative and self-sustainable approach.

(iv) Monitoring the Performance: TRAI regularly monitors the performance of service providers against the benchmark for various quality of Service parameters laid down by TRAI by  way  of  Quality-of-Service  Regulations  issued  from  time  to  time.  For  monitoring  the performance  of  service  providers,  TRAI  collects  License  Service  Area  (LSA)  wise Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) from service providers on a regular basis. Wherever the  Quality-of-Service  benchmarks  are  not  met,  the  explanation  of  the  concerned  service provider is  called  for  and  after  considering  the  response  of  the  service  provider  financial disincentives are imposed on the service provider for non-complied QOS parameters.

(c) & (d) Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  has  the  mandate  to  regulate  the pricing  and  tariff  structures  of  telecom  services  under  Section  11(2)  of  the  TRAI  Act  1997,  in accordance  with  this  mandate,  TRAI  initiated  tariff  regulation  for  the  telecom  sector  through notification  of  the  Telecommunication  Tariff  Order  (TTO)  1999.  With  respect  to  regulation  of telecom  tariffs  the  Authority  has  moved  over  the  years  from  fixation  of  Tariff  to  a  policy  of forbearance  with  regulatory  oversight.  Therefore,  tariff  for  telecommunication  service  is  under forbearance except for services as National Roaming, Rural Fixed Line Services, Mobile Number Portability charges, Leased circuits and USSD.

Subject to compliance with extant regulatory services provisions, service providers are free to design and offer tariffs based on their understanding of the market situation. Service providers have the flexibility to decide various tariff components like the rates for different types of calls, SMS, data offers etc. So, for the last two decades or so the tariffs for telecom services have been under forbearance which means that telecom companies are at liberty to design their tariffs based on the market forces of demand and supply.

This policy of forbearance has led to India having one of the lowest tariffs in the world based on recent ITU data. The measured index value of India is 1.89 which is much lower than other nations like USA (49), Russia (6.55) and even China (8.84). It has resulted in a massive increase of telecom subscribers from 14.5 million in 1997 to more than a billion as on date, one of the cheapest telecom rates in the world. Furthermore, the tele density i.e., the number of telephone connections per 100 persons in a geographical area is now more than 80% and the internet penetration has also increased tremendously with more than 950 million internet uses as of present.

## Percentage of tariff increase by major, private TSPs

| Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)   | Increase in Tariff in similar plans of the TSP (%)   | Increase in Tariff in similar plans of the TSP (%)   | Increase in Tariff in similar plans of the TSP (%)   |
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
|                                    | 2019                                                 | 2021                                                 | 2024                                                 |
| M/s. Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd      | 26% - 39%                                            | 20%- 23%                                             | 17%- 25%                                             |
| Bharti                             | 16%- 50%                                             | 25%                                                  | 21%                                                  |
| M/s. Airtel Ltd                    |                                                      | 20%-                                                 | 11%-                                                 |
| M/s. Vodafone Idea                 | 25%- 51%                                             |                                                      |                                                      |
| Limited                            |                                                      | 20%- 23%                                             | 11%- 21%                                             |

*****