Lok Sabha Question No. 1525 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Call Drop Rate
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1525 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31 ST  JULY 2024

## CALL DROP RATE

## †1525. SHRI CHAMALA KIRAN KUMAR REDDY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is the fact that the call drop percentage in India is 4.73% which is almost 58% higher than the global standards and 135% higher than TRAI's target and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to reduce the call drop rate;
- (c) the details of the percentage of call drops by each service provider separately during each of the last seven years; and
- (d) the details of the penalty imposed and other measures taken against the service provider if the cases of call drop are higher than the TRAI target?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As per the Performance Indicator Report for quarter ending March 2024 published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), all the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) are meeting the benchmarks of Call Drop Percentage.
- (b) Government has taken various steps such as assignment of sufficient spectrum, passive and active infrastructure sharing, Right of Way Rules 2016 and amendments, etc. to facilitate expansion and improvement of Quality of Telecommunication Services.
- (c) & (d) Details  of  service  provider  wise  percentage  of  call  drops  (average  across  all License Service Areas) during last seven years (quarter ending December 2017 to March 2024) and Financial disincentives imposed on service providers for non-compliance of drop call related benchmarks is attached at Annexure-I .

## Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in reply of Para (c) and (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1525 to be answered on 31 st  July 2024 raised by Hon'ble Member of Parliament Shri Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, regarding 'Call Drop Rate'

|       |             | 2017-18 (Dec-17 onwards)     | 2017-18 (Dec-17 onwards)      | 2017-18 (Dec-17 onwards)                                      | 2018-19                      | 2018-19                       | 2018-19                                                       | 2019-20                      | 2019-20                       | 2019-20                                                       |
|-------|-------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No. |             | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)    | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)     | Financial Disincentives Imposed(for violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)    | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)     | Financial Disincentives Imposed(for violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)    | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)     | Financial Disincentives Imposed(for violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) |
| S.No. | Name of TSP | [Network_ QSD(90,90)] ≤ 2% * | [Network_ QTD(97,90)] ≤ 3% ** | Financial Disincentives Imposed(for violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) | [Network_ QSD(90,90)] ≤ 2% * | [Network_ QTD(97,90)] ≤ 3% ** | Financial Disincentives Imposed(for violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) | [Network_ QSD(90,90)] ≤ 2% * | [Network_ QTD(97,90)] ≤ 3% ** | Financial Disincentives Imposed(for violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) |
| 1     | Aircel      | 3.14                         | 4.20                          | 50                                                            | SNA ***                      | SNA ***                       |                                                               | SNA ***                      | SNA ***                       |                                                               |
| 2     | Airtel      | 1.71                         | 2.07                          |                                                               | 1.69                         | 2.24                          | 1                                                             | 1.60                         | 2.07                          |                                                               |
| 3     | BSNL        | 1.86                         | 2.51                          | 9                                                             | 1.95                         | 2.50                          | 26                                                            | 2.13                         | 2.64                          | 42.00                                                         |
| 4     | MTNL        | 1.80                         | 2.39                          |                                                               | 1.70                         | 2.26                          |                                                               | 1.62                         | 2.23                          |                                                               |
| 5     | RJio        | 0.87                         | 1.26                          |                                                               | 0.44                         | 0.60                          |                                                               | 0.35                         | 0.48                          |                                                               |
| 6     | Tata        | 1.45                         | 2.71                          | 29.5                                                          | 0.15                         | 0.96                          |                                                               | 0.13                         | 0.40                          |                                                               |
| 7     | Telenor     | 2.12                         | 2.74                          | 13                                                            | SNA ***                      | SNA ***                       |                                                               | SNA ***                      | SNA ***                       |                                                               |
| 8     | Idea        | 2.04                         | 2.65                          | 28.5                                                          | 1.59                         | 2.19                          | 29                                                            | 1.62                         | 2.40                          | 8.50                                                          |
| 9     | Vodafone    | 1.80                         | 2.34                          | 5                                                             | 1.61                         | 2.20                          | 1                                                             | 1.67                         | 2.42                          | 2.50                                                          |
| 10    | VIL         | SNA ***                      | SNA ***                       |                                                               | SNA ***                      | SNA ***                       |                                                               | SNA ***                      | SNA ***                       |                                                               |

|        |             | 2020-21                        | 2020-21                        | 2020-21                                                          | 2021-22                        | 2021-22                        | 2021-22                                                 | 2022-23                        | 2022-23                         | 2022-23                                                 | 2023-24                        | 2023-24                         | 2023-24                                                         |
|--------|-------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No . | Name of TSP | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)      | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)      | Financial Disincen tives Imposed( for violation ) (Rs. In Lakhs) | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)      | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)      | Financial Disincentiv es Imposed(for violation) (Rs. In | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)      | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)       | Financi al Disince ntives Impose d(for violatio n) (Rs. | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)      | Avg. Drop Call Rate (DCR)       | Financial Disincenti ves Imposed(f or violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) |
| S.No . | Name of TSP | [Networ k_ QSD(90, 90)] ≤ 2% * | [Network_ QTD(97,9 0)] ≤ 3% ** | Financial Disincen tives Imposed( for violation ) (Rs. In Lakhs) | [Networ k_ QSD(90, 90)] ≤ 2% * | [Network_ QTD(97,9 0)] ≤ 3% ** | Lakhs)                                                  | [Networ k_ QSD(90, 90)] ≤ 2% * | [Networ k_ QTD(97, 90)] ≤ 3% ** | Financi al Disince ntives Impose d(for violatio n) (Rs. | [Netwo rk_ QSD(9 0,90)] ≤ 2% * | [Netwo rk_ QTD(9 7,90)] ≤ 3% ** | Financial Disincenti ves Imposed(f or violation) (Rs. In Lakhs) |
| 1      | Aircel      | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                                  | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                                 |
| 2      | Airtel      | 1.53                           | 1.98                           |                                                                  | 1.54                           | 2.00                           |                                                         | 1.44                           | 1.87                            |                                                         | 1.31                           | 1.74                            |                                                                 |
| 3      | BSNL        | 2.09                           | 2.56                           | 15.00                                                            | 1.87                           | 2.30                           | 7.00                                                    | 1.74                           | 2.12                            |                                                         | 1.71                           | 2.04                            |                                                                 |
| 4      | MTNL        | 1.51                           | 2.04                           |                                                                  | 1.52                           | 2.04                           |                                                         | 1.51                           | 2.13                            |                                                         | 1.58                           | 1.84                            | 1                                                               |
| 5      | RJio        | 0.30                           | 0.43                           |                                                                  | 0.25                           | 0.38                           |                                                         | 0.22                           | 0.37                            |                                                         | 0.23                           | 0.39                            |                                                                 |
| 6      | Tata        | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                                  | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                                 |
| 7      | Telenor     | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                                  | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                                 |
| 8      | Idea        | 1.70                           | 2.46                           | 5.00                                                             | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                                 |
| 9      | Vodafo ne   | 1.73                           | 2.48                           |                                                                  | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                        |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                         | SNA ***                        | SNA ***                         |                                                                 |
| 10     | VIL         | 1.57                           | 2.24                           |                                                                  | 1.56                           | 2.20                           |                                                         | 1.57                           | 2.19                            |                                                         | 1.57                           | 2.20                            |                                                                 |

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