Lok Sabha Question No. 611 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-20
Subject: Consumer Complaints Redressal Mechanism
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: K.R.P. PRABAKARAN, RITI PATHAK, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, R.P. MARUTHARAJAA, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM, Shrirang Appa Barne, NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, SUDHEER GUPTA, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, MANOJ RAJORIA, RENUKA BUTTA, DHARMENDRA YADAV, G. HARI, SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH, KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT, C.S. PUTTARAJU, Y. S. AVINASH REDDY, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH, R. PARTHIPAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.611 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH  JULY, 2016

## CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REDRESSAL MECHANISM

611. SHRI K.R.P. PRABAKARAN:

SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI RAJEEV SATAV:

SHRI R.P. MARUTHARAJAA:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL

SHIVAJIRAO:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI NANA PATOLE:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

DR. MANOJ RAJORIA:

SHRIMATI BUTTA RENUKA:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI G. HARI:

SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY KOTHA:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH

SHANKARRAO:

SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

SHRI C.S. PUTTA RAJU:

SHRI Y.S. AVINASH REDDY:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI R. PARTHIPAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of complaints received against Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs) regarding poor telecom services and call drops during the last three years and the current year, TSP-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted call drop test in some cities in the country and if so, the outcome thereof, TSP and city-wise;
- (c) the details of consumer redressal mechanism available to the consumers at present to resolve  the  complaints  and  whether  the  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI) proposes to set up an ombudsman to resolve the consumer complaints;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the likely time for setting up the same; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposed  to  empower  TRAI  to  take  strict  action  including penal for poor telecom services and call drops against the TSPs and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Details of complaints regarding poor telecom services and call drops received by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) is enclosed as Annexure .

(b) TRAI,  through  agencies  appointed  by  it,  has  conducted  Independent  Drive Tests  in  Delhi,  Mumbai,  Lucknow,  Kanpur,  Chandigarh,  Hyderabad,  Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhopal, Ranchi, Trivandrum and Ahmedabad during May-June 2016. In Delhi &  Mumbai,  these  drive  tests  were  a  repeat  of  the  drive  test  undertaken  earlier  in December  2015-January  2016.  The  drive  test  result  in  Delhi  shows  degradation  of performance on call drop rate by most of the service providers, whereas in Mumbai there is improvement in the performance on call drop rate. The drive tests results at Hyderabad, Bhopal, Ahmedabad and Ranchi show that most of the service providers are not meeting the benchmark for call drop rate in the areas covered by the drive test. In Sikkim and Darjeeling all the service providers failed to meet the benchmark for call drop rate. However, in Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kanpur and Trivandrum, most of the service providers are meeting the benchmark for call drop rate. Detailed reports of these Independent Drive Tests are published on TRAI's website www.trai.gov.in under Head - 'Notification' Sub-Head - 'RF Drive Test Portal - Reports'.

(c) to (e) TRAI  has  laid  down  the  frame  work  for  the  redressal  of  consumer complaints by service provider through the Telecom Consumer Complaints Redressal Regulations,  2012,  which  provides  for  a  two  tier  grievance  redressal  mechanism  of complaint centre and appellate authority. In the year 2004, TRAI had recommended establishment of an office of Ombudsman in the telecommunication sector. However, the  recommendation  was  not  agreed  to  by  the  Government.  As  per  provisions  of Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India ( TRAI)  Act,  1997  as  amended  from  time  to time,  TRAI  prescribes  Quality  of  Service  (QoS)  Benchmarks  (including  quality  of telecom services and call drops) and discharge the function to ensure its compliance by the TSPs within the powers under the Act.

Contd/elipsis3/-

## Annexure

Number  of  complaints  received  against  Telecom  Service  Providers(TSPs)  including poor telecom services and call drop during the last three years and the current year.

2016

| S.No.   | Name of Telecom Service Providers   |   2013 |   2014 |   2015 |   2016 (1.1.16 to 30.6.16) |
|---------|-------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|----------------------------|
| 1       | Aircel                              |   1071 |   1066 |   1082 |                        434 |
| 2       | Bharti Airtel                       |   4609 |   4258 |   6131 |                       3257 |
| 3       | BSNL                                |   1286 |   1410 |   1444 |                        479 |
| 4       | Dishnet wireless Ltd                |      5 |      2 |      0 |                          0 |
| 5       | Etisalat D B Telecom P. Ltd         |      0 |      3 |      0 |                          0 |
| 6       | Idea                                |   2100 |   2145 |   2594 |                        997 |
| 7       | Loop                                |    350 |    333 |     73 |                          0 |
| 8       | MTS                                 |    302 |    544 |    801 |                        239 |
| 9       | MTNL                                |    488 |    546 |    522 |                        158 |
| 10      | Quadrant (HFCL)                     |     28 |      9 |     19 |                          6 |
| 11      | Reliance                            |   3027 |   3299 |   3527 |                       1526 |
| 12      | Tata                                |   2462 |   1709 |   1465 |                        408 |
| 13      | Uninor/Telenor                      |    262 |    246 |    193 |                         62 |
| 14      | Videocon                            |     28 |     43 |     49 |                         24 |
| 15      | Vodafone                            |   4143 |   4773 |   5387 |                       2130 |
|         | TOTAL                               |  20161 |  20386 |  23287 |                       9720 |

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