Lok Sabha Question No. 1102 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-02
Subject: Telecom Operators
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

## MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1102 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 nd  MARCH,  2016

## TELECOM OPERATORS

†1102. SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has imposed penalty on the telecom operators for noncompliance of guidelines pertaining to verification of subscribers in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  names  of  such  operators  during  the current financial year;
- (c) whether such operators have paid penalty to the Government;
- (d) if so, details thereof, company-wise;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to impose penalty on those telecom operators also who are not providing quality telecom services in the country; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) & (b) Yes Madam, Telecom Enforcement, Resource & Monitoring (TERM) Cells carry out sample  verification of Customer  Acquisition Form  (CAF)  and  related documents  of  the  acquired  customers,  by  all  TSPs,  which  brings  out  non-compliant cases where DoT guidelines pertaining to verification of subscribers were  violated by TSPs in  acquiring  the  customer.  For  such  non-compliant  cases,  TERM  Cells  impose applicable financial penalties on erring TSPs as per the guidelines issued from time to time.

The details  of  total  financial  penalty  imposed  on  different  TSPs  for  violation  of CAF verification norms during current financial year 2015-16 (i.e. from 01.04.2015 till 31.12.2015), TSP wise, are enclosed at Annexure-I.

- (c) & (d) Yes. The details of total financial penalty recovered from different TSPs for violation  of  CAF  verification  norms  during  current  financial  year  (i.e.  01.04.2015  till 31.12.2015), TSP wise, are enclosed at Annexure-II.

(e) & (f) Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  has  laid  down  Quality  of Service (QoS) benchmarks for Basic Telephone Service (Wireline) and Cellular Mobile Telephone  Service  through  'The  Standards  of  QoS  of  Basic  Telephone  Service (Wireline)  and  Cellular  Mobile  Telephone  Service  Regulations,  2009'  issued  on  20 th March, 2009. As per these regulations, TRAI has been monitoring the performance of service  providers,  against  the  QoS  benchmarks  for  the  various  parameters  through Quarterly Performance Monitoring Reports. Wherever the quality of service benchmarks are not met, TRAI has also been imposing financial disincentives on service providers for  failure  to  comply  with  the  benchmarks,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the regulations.

To  create  further  deterrent  against  consecutive  non-compliance  with  the benchmarks, TRAI had recently notified 'The Standards of Quality of Service of Basic Telephone Service (Wireline) and Cellular Mobile Telephone Service (Fourth Amendment)  Regulations,  2015'  on  15th  October  2015,  providing  for  increased Financial Disincentives in such cases. The penalties amounting to Rs. 10,70,35,000/(Rupees Ten Crores, Seventy Lakhs and Thirty five thousand only) has been imposed so far on defaulting service providers for not meeting the QoS benchmarks.

Contd…….3/-

## Annexure I

| S.No.   | Name of Telecom Service Provider (TSP)   | Total Sum of Financial Graded Penalty imposed (in Rs.) during current financial Year 2015-16 (i.e. from 01.04.2015 till 31.12.2015)   |
|---------|------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | AIRCEL                                   | 17,03,75,899                                                                                                                          |
| 2       | ALLIANZ/ETISALAT                         | 1,97,630                                                                                                                              |
| 3       | BAL/BHL/AIRTEL                           | 38,70,60,409                                                                                                                          |
| 4       | BSNL                                     | 73,76,55,823                                                                                                                          |
| 5       | IDEA/ABTL                                | 41,76,38,247                                                                                                                          |
| 6       | MTNL                                     | 21,05,000                                                                                                                             |
| 7       | QTL(HFCL)                                | 15,89,17,000                                                                                                                          |
| 8       | RELIANCE                                 | 40,20,76,804                                                                                                                          |
| 9       | SSTL                                     | 33,47,918                                                                                                                             |
| 10      | STL                                      | 0                                                                                                                                     |
| 11      | TATA                                     | 43,73,19,577                                                                                                                          |
| 12      | UNINOR/TELENOR                           | 1,44,30,373                                                                                                                           |
| 13      | VODAFONE                                 | 50,25,12,091                                                                                                                          |
| 14      | VIDEOCON                                 | 19,89,184                                                                                                                             |
|         | Grand Total                              | 323,56,25,955                                                                                                                         |

Contd…….4/-

Annexure II

| S.No.   | Name of Telecom Service Provider (TSP)   | Total Sum of Financial Graded Penalty recovered (in Rs.) during current financial Year 2015-16 (i.e. from 01.04.2015 till 31.12.2015)   |
|---------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | AIRCEL                                   | 7,95,78,899                                                                                                                             |
| 2       | ALLIANZ/ETISALAT                         | 0                                                                                                                                       |
| 3       | BAL/BHL/AIRTEL                           | 9,73,82,409                                                                                                                             |
| 4       | BSNL                                     | 2,87,98,199                                                                                                                             |
| 5       | IDEA/ABTL                                | 11,84,59,247                                                                                                                            |
| 6       | MTNL                                     | 3,33,000                                                                                                                                |
| 7       | QTL(HFCL)                                | 46,92,000                                                                                                                               |
| 8       | RELIANCE                                 | 5,44,35,412                                                                                                                             |
| 9       | SSTL                                     | 34,89,918                                                                                                                               |
| 10      | STL                                      | 0                                                                                                                                       |
| 11      | TATA                                     | 3,57,59,577                                                                                                                             |
| 12      | UNINOR/TELENOR                           | 1,44,39,373                                                                                                                             |
| 13      | VODAFONE                                 | 18,16,36,483                                                                                                                            |
| 14      | VIDEOCON                                 | 25,58,184                                                                                                                               |
|         | Grand Total                              | 62,15,62,701                                                                                                                            |

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