Lok Sabha Question No. 1799 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-27
Subject: 3G Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY, NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1799 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH  JULY, 2016

## 3G SERVICES

1799.  SHRI PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY: SHRI NANA PATOLE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether  some  of  the  telecom  operators  have  not  enhanced  their  3G  network infrastructure  to  match  the  increasing  number  of  customers  and  are  providing  2G services instead of 3G services;

- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Telephone  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  has  reported  this fact in a report on call drop submitted to the Government; and
- (d) the action taken by the Government against such operators and the steps taken or proposed to be taken to ensure 3G services to enhance the internet speed?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) There are 7 (seven) to 10 (ten) wireless access service providers (telecom operators)  in  each  licensed  service  area,  however,  only  4  (four)  to  5  (five)  service providers are having 3G spectrum in various service areas for providing 3G services. Therefore,  some  service  providers  in  each  service  area  do  not  have  3G  network infrastructure.  The status of 2G/ 3G network infrastructure of service providers for last four  quarters  (June  2015,  September  2015,  December  2015  and  March  2016)  is attached as Annexure .  From the available data, it is seen that four service providers namely  Sistema  Shyam,  Telenor,  Quadrant  and  Videocon  do  not  have  3G  network infrastructure in any service area. Further, all operators, except MTNL, has expanded their 3G network infrastructure over this period.

(c) & (d) TRAI has released a 'Technical Paper on Call drop in Cellular Networks' and the same is available at the website www.trai.gov.in. No report on this specific issue has  been  sent  by  TRAI  to  Government.  TRAI  has  laid  down  the  Quality  of  Service Standards for wireless data services through 'The Standards of Quality of Service for Wireless  Data  Services  Regulations,  2012'.  These  regulations  do  not  prescribe  any parameter  relating  to  minimum  download  speed  for  data  services.    However,  the regulations mandate the service providers to submit to TRAI the average throughput for packet data, the benchmark of which is more than 75% of the subscribed speed. From the monitoring of performance of service providers it is seen that the service providers are not offering any speed based data plan.

| BTS /          | Node-Bas on 30.06.2015 BTS /   | Node-Bas on 30.06.2015 BTS /   | Node-Bas on 30.06.2015 BTS /   | Node-Bas on 30.06.2015 BTS /   | Node-B as on 30.09.2015 BTS /   | Node-B as on 30.09.2015 BTS /   | Node-B as on 30.09.2015 BTS /   | Node-B as on 30.09.2015 BTS /   | Node-B as on 31.12.2015   | Node-B as on 31.12.2015   | Node-B as on 31.12.2015   | Node-B as on 31.12.2015   | Node-B as on 31.03.2016   | Node-B as on 31.03.2016   | Node-B as on 31.03.2016   | Node-B as on 31.03.2016   |
|----------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| BTS /          | 3G                             | 2G                             | CDMA                           | Total                          | 3G                              | 2G                              | CDMA                            | Total                           | 3G                        | 2G                        | CDMA                      | Total                     | 3G                        | 2G CDM                    | Total                     |                           |
| Bharti         | 51005 144927                   | 0                              | 195932                         | 55946                          | 146771                          | 0                               |                                 | 202717                          | 60865 148181              | 0                         | 209046                    | 90627                     | 150893                    | 0                         | 241520                    |                           |
| RTL 4411       | 16228                          | 0                              | 20639                          | 4411                           | 16014                           | 0                               |                                 | 20425                           | 4519 6401                 | 0                         | 10920                     | 4982                      | 6450                      | 0                         | 11432                     |                           |
| RCL            | 5906 31411                     | 21417                          | 58734                          | 5927                           | 31097                           |                                 | 21074 58098                     | 5997                            | 30787                     | 20645                     | 57429                     | 6231                      | 30783                     | 19934                     | 56948                     |                           |
| Vodafone 35723 | 131001                         | 0                              | 166724                         | 38754                          | 131928                          | 0                               | 170682                          | 40298                           | 133248                    | 0                         | 173546                    | 54440                     | 136202                    | 0                         | 190642                    |                           |
| BSNL 27136     | 77575                          | 11189                          | 115900                         | 27851                          | 78286                           | 11112                           | 117249                          | 28587                           | 79027                     | 11060                     | 118674                    | 29660                     | 80004                     | 11010                     | 120674                    |                           |
| Idea 32421     | 115357                         | 0                              | 147778                         | 38012                          | 118980                          | 0                               | 156992                          | 44901                           | 122215                    | 0                         | 167116                    | 48928                     | 126571                    | 0                         | 175499                    |                           |
| Tata 11282     | 43261                          | 13303                          | 67846                          | 11910                          | 43285                           | 12997                           | 68192                           | 12471                           | 42745                     | 12978                     | 68194                     | 13113                     | 43384                     | 12867                     | 69364                     |                           |
| Aircel 11748   | 47056                          | 0                              | 58804                          | 12020                          | 47711                           | 0                               | 59731                           | 14928                           | 48831                     | 0                         | 63759                     | 16255                     | 49540                     | 0                         | 65795                     |                           |
| MTNL 1454      | 2110                           | 275                            | 3839                           | 1438                           | 2107                            | 275                             | 3820                            |                                 | 1440 2112                 | 243                       | 3795                      | 1441                      | 2114                      | 0                         | 3555                      |                           |
| Sistema 0      | 0                              | 8249                           | 8249                           | 0                              | 0                               | 8222                            | 8222                            | 0                               | 0                         | 8214                      | 8214                      | 0                         | 0                         | 8166                      | 8166                      |                           |
| Telenor 0      | 23589                          | 0                              | 23589                          | 0                              | 23594                           | 0                               | 23594                           | 0                               | 24112                     | 0                         | 24112                     | 0                         | 24575                     | 0                         | 24575                     |                           |
| Quadrant 0     | 2235                           | 13                             | 2248                           | 0                              | 2293                            | 13                              | 2306                            | 0                               | 2376                      | 13                        | 2389                      | 0                         | 2394                      | 13                        | 2407                      |                           |
| Videocon 0     | 5067                           | 0                              | 5067                           | 0                              | 5084                            | 0                               | 5084                            | 0                               | 5070                      | 0                         | 5070                      | 0                         | 5102                      | 0                         | 5102                      |                           |
| Total          | 181086 639817                  | 54446                          | 875349                         | 196269                         | 647150                          | 53693                           | 897112                          | 214006                          | 645105                    | 53153                     | 912264                    | 265677                    | 658012                    | 51990                     | 975679                    |                           |

- RTL - Reliance Telecom Limited; RCL - Reliance Communication Limited; BSNL - Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited; MTNL - Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited

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