Are telecom operators investing enough to upgrade network? PM Modi slams telcos on the issue of call drops

If you are a mobile phone user, you may be well aware of what a call drop is. The problem is increasing day-by-day with almost every call you make. Concerned about the issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley came down heavily on telcos, on Wednesday during a cabinet meet, for rising call drops.

Both of them supported the telecom department's move on 'punitive measures' to be taken against erring telecom companies.

The prime minister also asked the department to make sure that telecom operators revamp their networks in order to tackle the growing menace.

Jaitley is believed to have expressed his displeasure on the matter. "Jaitley said it was increasingly becoming difficult to make calls through mobile phones, forcing users like him to use the land line instead," a person privy to the meeting told ET.

In about 15 days, this is the second time that Modi has brought up the call drops issue. In an August 25 review of the progress of digital and rural infrastructure and connectivity sectors, he had directed officials to address the issue immediately.

What are the reasons for call drops? The government has found the primary cause for call drops to be the reluctance of operators to optimise their networks, while the industry maintains that the main reason is the difficulty in installing more towers to service customers.

Operators have said they find it hard to put up towers due to lack of sites or exorbitantly high rentals. A radiation scare has also led to growing disapproval from resident welfare associations for setting up towers.

The PM and the FM's remarks come when the telecom regulator is trying to find ways to compensate users for the increasingly poor quality of telecom networks. The regulator on Friday floated a consultation paper on the matter.

TRAI chief meets Telecom CEOs: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman RS Sharma met with CEOs of telecom companies on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

Sharma said the regulator will conduct fresh tests across India over the next fortnight to check whether mobile operators are doing their bit to reduce call drops, stepping up monitoring of the critical issue of failing service quality.

"We will disclose the results of fresh drive tests in 15 days," Sharma said after his meeting with the CEOs. The drive tests would be "conducted during peak hours" to identify coverage gaps in an operator's network, Sharma said.

A drive test is typically conducted in a moving vehicle loaded with gear to continuously make cellphone calls to verify if mobile operators meet network-related benchmarks.

The results of the upcoming drive tests will be critical in establishing whether calls fail due to coverage gaps in the absence of towers or if they were induced by network congestion or even as a result of interference caused by mobile towers in close proximity to each other.

Asked if TRAI would suggest financial disincentives to penalise telcos that fail the drive tests, Sharma said, "We will cross the bridge when we come to it."

(Image: Indiatimes)