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Telecom minister <keyword id="6354886" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar-Prasad">Ravi Shankar Prasad</keyword> has said that no spectrum will be given for free, even as telecom operators have demanded a cut in the proposed auction price for airwaves. The minister was talking to ET, when he highlighted how the public sector is busy combining infrastructure and leveraging the expertise of BSNL and the postal department so that the government plays is in a situation for a competitive battle with private players. 
 
"Operators will not be given free spectrum even if that were to make me the most popular telecom minister," Prasad said. He declined to comment on reconsidering the proposed price. 
 
"700MHz is the most attractive band to penetrate through thick walls," Prasad said while justifying the reasons for this high price. He also said that he doesn't expect that this decision would allow trading and sharing of spectrum that were approved after the 2015 airwave auctions to come in the way of the upcoming auction. He thinks that the size of the Indian market justifies further investment into the spectrum. 
 
Talking of the other end of the deal, telecom operators have said that the price suggested by the telecom regulator for the auction of 700MHz spectrum is too steep. 
 
<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2500654/images/o-RAVI-SHANKAR-PRASAD-facebook.jpg">Image source</a>

Ravi Shankar Prasad says no to free spectrum to telecom operators

If you remember, there were talks of telecom companies paying subscribers one rupee each for every call drop up to thrice a day. However, telecom companies say that they are still waiting for court directions before rolling out the compensation. Nonetheless, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has written letters to telecom operators, reminding them to compensate subscribers for dropped calls from January 1. 
 
"It is expected that you would have taken all necessary steps to implement provisions of the regulations," stated the letter as per ET. TRAI opines that since there was no stay on its decision, the telcos should comply with it. 
 
The next date of hearing is scheduled for January 6 after which TRAI would take coercive actions against defaulters. 
 
<a href="http://www.networkedindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/mobile-towers-call-drops.jpeg">Image source</a>

TRAI reminds telecom operators to compensate customers for call drops

The debate on <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</keyword> is picking up heat. While Net Neutrality supporters have already declared a war against <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword> and <keyword id="6379816" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-operators">telecom operators</keyword>, we haven’t yet heard much from the Indian government on the issue—except for the fact that they (Indian government and TRAI) are planning to come up with a law on Net Neutrality, which would define the do’s and don’ts. 
 Though we really can’t say what those do’s and don’ts would be and to what extent they would restrict our freedom on the Web, but it is heartening to know that there are people like <keyword id="4032986" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrashekhar">Rajeev Chandrashekhar</keyword> who are raising their voice in the Parliament and are asking for some bold steps in favour of Net Neutrality. 
 
Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who is currently serving his second term as an independent member of the Rajya Sabha, has particularly been reiterating that TRAI must come clean about corporate rivalry they mentioned in their recent 118 page consultation document. And he has sent across the same message in his recent letter to Rahul Khullar, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. In this letter dated 23rd April 2015, he has challenged the 118 page consultation document submitted by TRAI and called it disappointing. He cites, “I have gone through your 118 page consultation document and regrettably have noted, that this consultation paper lacks the promised balance and is therefore deeply disappointing. Arguably instead, the paper betrays a strong bias towards telecom operators from telecom operators from the questions framed for the consultation.” 
 
In his letter, he also strongly objected TRAI’s attempt to seek regulatory or public policy protection to perpetuate a legacy business model of telcos. He said, “I appreciate that investments and investor sentiment are critical to developing both national infrastructure on which the current and future Internet and Internet accsees network can operate. But, I firmly reject the notion that consumer interests and core character of an open and free Internet have to be sacrificed to maximize the business interests of Telcos and Internet Access Providers, which seems to be the premise of the TRAI consultation paper.” 
 
You can read the complete letter <a href="rajeev.in/rajeev_writes/Regulatory_Framework/Letter_to_Rahul_Khullar_TRAI_Apr232015.pdf">here.</a>

TRAI’s Paper on Net Neutrality has a strong bias towards telecom operators: Rajeev Chandrashekhar

Intense tariff war and high taxes are expected to squeeze Indian telecom operators, leaving a gaping Rs 1,20,000 crore deficit between the industry's earnings and its debt/payment commitments this year, says debt-laden Reliance Communications, according to PTI. With annual interest payments, loan re-payment obligation, spectrum-related outgo and capex expected to add up to a Rs 1,62,000 crore tab, the operators could find it tough to metheir debt and payment needs with Rs 43,000 crore of EBITDA or operating profits in 2017-18. The earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) is a measure of a company's operational performance. "The reduced EBITDA (Rs 43,000 crore in FY18) of the industry is insufficient to cover the existing debt obligations and deferred payment commitments," RCom cautioned in its latest investor presentation. The gross liability of the telecom industry on account of debt as well as payments related to radio waves amounted to a whopping Rs 7,75,000 crore, as on March 31, 2017. Stating that 2016-17 recorded the first-ever decline in industry's revenue, RCom said the combined revenue went down to an estimated Rs 2.10 lakh crore. This resulted in fall in EBITDA by Rs 12,000 crore, meaning significantly lower operating cash flows for telcos. "Further in FY18 (this fiscal year), the revenue is estimated to decline further by Rs 25,000 crore," RCom said referring to the industry's weak financial metrics. RCom Chairman <keyword id="9171" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anil-Ambani">Anil Ambani</keyword> last week stepped in to restore investor confidence after the company's shares were hammered in the wake of poor fourth quarter and FY17 showing, and debt downgrade by rating agencies including Moody's, Fitch, ICRA and CARE. In a rare public appearance, he said that the debt-laden RCom has been given a breather of seven months to service its debt. This is a part of a strategic debt restructuring (SDR) programme that a consortium of lenders has invoked for the company, that is saddled with Rs 45,000-crore debt. Like its larger rivals, RCom too has been hit hard by intense price war unleashed by <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>, owned by Anil Ambani's elder brother and India's richest man <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>. RCom's presentation noted that the voice revenue per minute for the industry has seen a 25 per cent decline in the last two quarters, while data revenue per MB have fallen by 40 per cent. It cautioned that the sector could be staring at 30,000 to 40,000 job losses over the next 12-18 months, compared to 10,000 job cuts last year. Underlining the high incidence of taxation, RCom said telecom is "one of the highest taxed sectors" of the Indian economy and that no other country in the world has such high tax burden on telecom sector. The cumulative tax incidence adds up to about 33 per cent (of revenue) in India compared to 20 per cent in EU, 22 per cent in China and 17 per cent in the US. Incidentally, India, with over 1.16 billion mobile users is the second largest telecom market in the world, after China. Noting that the government has set up a panel to resolve the financial crisis in the telecom sector, RCom said industry wants deferment of payment liability with respect to levies (imposed by the <keyword id="150664" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-department">Telecom Department</keyword>) and spectrum charges by three years. The industry also wants a 3-year moratorium on service tax/GST, for short term cash flow relief. Other demands include reduction of licence fee to five per cent (from 8 per cent), and flat one per cent spectrum levy. Interestingly, at a time when telecom regulator is reviewing the call connect charges, RCom said that termination rate should be discontinued, given the free or low voice tariffs environment.

Intense tariff war is bleeding telecom operators. Here’s the proof

India’s <keyword id="2419779" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-minister-Ravi-Shankar-Prasad">Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad</keyword> announced that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=telecom+operators">telecom operators</a> would now be able to sell <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=radiowaves">radiowaves</a> to other service providers. 
 
"Cabinet has approved spectrum trading today. Telecom sector has been demanding it for optimum utilisation of spectrum," said <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ravi+shankar+prasad">Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad</a> said. 
 
Till now, the Indian government had allowed to allocate <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=spectrum">spectrum</a> to telecom firms through auctions only. 
 The trading will enable efficient use of <keyword id="513806" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="radiowaves">radiowaves</keyword> as few <keyword id="6379816" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-operators">telecom operators</keyword> had a low <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=subscriber+base">subscriber base</a> or unutilised spectrum lying with them. 
"The ownership right will be of government of India. That right of trade he can trade with someone else fully between two service providers. For entering in trading agreement, telecom operators will not require prior permission from government but the company will have to inform licence issuing authority 45 days before entering into trading agreement,” said Prasad. 
 
The trading is also expected to indicate market rate of radiowaves. At present it is determined only through auctions conducted by the government. 
 
"Auction purchased spectrum can be straight away go for trading. The buyer will have to pay 1 per cent trading fee which will be calculated based on market rate or previous auction price whichever is higher," Prasad said. 
 
 (Image: Thinkstock)

Telcos can now trade in Spectrum!

<ul><li>On 20 June the government issued a notice that allows individual telecom operators to offer their own online calling apps. </li><li>The recommendations made by the <keyword id="30356" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) were green-lit by the <keyword id="158388" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Commission">Telecom Commission</keyword>. </li><li>The only recommendation that wasn’t approved was where apps should have their own mobile numbering series. </li></ul>If users want to make a call using the internet, they have to do it using a over-the-top service like <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">Whatsapp</keyword> or <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>. But with latest government notice, telecom service providers like <keyword id="6354287" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharti-airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword>, <keyword id="6354504" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> can also enter the arena of <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/govt-opens-up-internet-telephony-to-telcos/article24212550.ece">internet telephony</a>. Following the recommendations made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) late last year, the Telecom Commission finally gave the green light last month, which the government followed with a notice on Wednesday, 20 June. More or less, all the guidelines put down by TRAI were accepted by the Telecom Commission except for the one pertaining to these apps having their own mobile numbering series. This basically means that internet phone calls can be done using one service provider’s app even if you’re using the internet service provided by a different service provider. Otherwise, users would have to been on the same network for on components for net calling to work. As per reports, TRAI is going ahead with this venture to increase the rate of successful calls. It specifically applies to indoor areas where mobile signals may not be strong, but Wi-Fi or public hotspots are available.

Telecom operators may soon be coming out with their own online calling apps

The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> said the order by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>) asking telecom service providers to pay for <keyword id="6395111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="call-drops">call drops</keyword> was unreasonable and struck it down. 
 
Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said the TRAI notification was unreasonable, arbitrary and non-transparent. 
 During the hearing, the <keyword id="6379816" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-operators">telecom operators</keyword> said TRAI decision was a populist measure to accommodate consumers as call drops were happening for host of external considerations not attributable to them. 
 
The TRAI argued that the penalising for call drops was the least invasive way to deal with the issue and the telecos were making money from it. 
 
Meanwhile, the Apex Court has asked the Indian government to make a law on call drops similar to those in the US. 
 
The Cellular Operators' Association of India had approached the court challenging the Delhi High Court order which had upheld TRAI decision. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Telecos will not compensate for call drops as Supreme Court strikes down TRAI order

<keyword id="125045" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fitch-ratings" source="Orion">Fitch Ratings</keyword> expects telecom operators to raise tariffs in 2023, given the focus on profitability by the service providers. The rating agency categorically said <keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword>, the third-largest telco, needs to increase tariffs as its EBITDA generation is insufficient to meet finance costs and to invest sufficiently in capital expenditure. The last time the Indian telecom operators raised tariffs was in late 2021. "We have only one market on an improving outlook - India - compared with two (India and Malaysia) in 2022. Only one market - Sri Lanka - is on a deteriorating outlook. Consolidation is likely to continue in most markets as weaker participants face the choice whether to be acquired or decline," it said in a report. Notably, Indian telecom operators continue to have one of the lowest monthly average revenue per user (USD 2.5) and the highest monthly data usage (20 GB) in the world. Further, it said market leaders <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> will continue to consolidate market share as they will garner 80-85 per cent of the revenue of private telecom operators during 2023-2024, in comparison to 81 per cent in 2022. Bharti Airtel, it said, will retain its 35 per cent active subscriber market share, while Vodafone Idea will continue to lose market share given its extremely weak financial position. On <keyword id="349263" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="agr" source="Orion">AGR</keyword> deferment, the <keyword id="82981" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fitch" source="Orion">Fitch</keyword> report said the government's decision to defer the amount of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and spectrum dues for four years, the prospective exclusion of non-telecom revenue from the definition of AGR, and the abolition of spectrum usage charges in recent spectrum auctions will boost telecom operators' cash flow. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/trai-releases-recommendations-on-licensing-framework-for-establishing-operating-satellite-earth-station-gateway/articleshow/95855830.cms">Trai releases recommendations on licensing framework for establishing, operating satellite earth station gateway</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-has-revealed-the-app-store-awards-winners-in-2022/articleshow/95855823.cms">Apple’s App Store awards 2022 winners — best applications and games of the year</a>

Your mobile bills could up in 2023 as telcos focus on profitability

It seems <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=telecom+operators">Indian telecom companies</a> are following the mantra ‘Higher the phone bill, better would be the service’. 
 
Telcos are deciding on customer service based on amount of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=phone+bills">phone bills</a> and will zero on a different levels. 
 
This move by telecom operators comes as a cost cutting measure and improving services for top-paying <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=subscriber+base">subscribers</a>. 
 "They would rather serve the top customers very well, because if they port out it will hurt the bottom line. They serve the bulk of the low-ticket, <keyword id="64889" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prepaid">prepaid</keyword> customers, but it isn't even close to the same level of service and the wait time is longer," an executive, who serves telecom clients in a large Indian BPO company, told ET. 
 
Telecom providers also plan to come up with premium call-centres to serve consumers who at least pay Rs 3000 as phone bill every month. 
 
Reportedly, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=vodafone">Vodafone</a> RED plans for <keyword id="1016365" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Postpaid">postpaid</keyword> customers serve those consumers better who have a basic bill of Rs 1,299 per month. 
 
Likewise, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=airtel">Airtel’s</a> level starts at phone bill over Rs 3,000 a month. 
 "Our access times would be best in industry and the average wait time that a lower-paying customer would have would be between 12-15 seconds, as against 8-10 for a higher-paying one," Laxmi Rajan, national head-customer service at <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword>, told ET in an email. She added that these were average wait times, and in peak hours it could vary on the higher said.

Telecom operators want to serve top customers well, it will all depend on your phone bill

<keyword id="6355199" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Industries">Reliance Industries</keyword> Chairman <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, during the launch of <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> in his annual general meeting, had pushed other telecom operators to provide interconnect points after he announced free calls from Jio to any other server. 
 But, the incumbent carriers are in no mood to do so. In a letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), India’s top telecom operators have said they can’t oblige to Ambani-led Reliance <keyword id="1699939" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio-Infocomm">Jio Infocomm</keyword>'s requests for interconnection points. 
 
The carriers have said they do not have the network and the financial resources to adjust huge traffic coming in from Reliance Jio. 
 "Unloading tsunamis of asymmetric incoming voice traffic from a (potential) 100 million Reliance Jio customers can lead to the weighted average voice realisation of existing operators plunging from 30-40 paise per voice minute to 22-25 paise per voice minute or even lower," said <keyword id="105151" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cellular-Operators-Association-of-India">Cellular Operators Association of India</keyword> (COAI) in its letter to Nripendra Misra, principal secretary at PMO, which was assessed by ET. 
 
Furthermore, the association has warned the present telecom companies will go into liquidation long before this reduced weighted average voice realisation is reached. 
 
"Reliance Jio may well make up some part of this massive voice cross-subsidy by way of data revenue realisations, by way of customer acquisitions/churn, but it becomes abundantly clear that the overwhelming burden of this free lunch is sought to be passed on to rival operators through tariff manipulations, which exploit the Interconnect Usage Charge (IUC) regime, and offload tsunamis of asymmetric voice traffic that will choke and financially destroy competition," Rajan Mathews, director general of the COAI, told ET. 
 
The COAI has stated the incoming-to-outgoing traffic ratio in India is normally 1:1, but Jio's beta tests had tended to veer it towards an asymmetric 10:1, and this would undoubtedly lead it to a 15:1ratio once its (potential) 100 million subscribers grow accustomed to unlimited free voice service. 
 
"The voice services for Jio are experiencing high congestion. Since you are a high-value customer, this will impact your business," Idea told dealers in a presentation. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Telecom operators escalate war with Reliance Jio; say they are not obliged to give interconnection points

<ul><li>The Department of Telecommunications has allowed the raising of the FDI limit in <keyword id="41511" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="idea">Idea</keyword> from 67.5% to 100%. </li><li>This paves the way for the merger of Idea and <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword>, creating India’s largest <keyword id="6354776" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom">telecom</keyword> operator with over 430 million subscribers. </li><li>Prior to the final greenlight, however, the DoT needs Vodafone and Idea to clear around ₹57 billion in one-time spectrum charges. </li></ul>India’s telecom market is all set for another disruption. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has approved a 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) into the homegrown Idea Cellular, paving the way for its merger with Vodafone’s Indian subsidiary. The merger was first announced in March 2017. The combined entity - Vodafone Idea Limited - will become India’s largest telecom operator, by market share and subscribers, unseating <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> in the process for the first time in a decade. It will reportedly command a 37% share of the market and have over 430 million subscribers. Up until now, Idea had a FDI limit of 67.5%. The limit had to be raised to 100% in order for the merger to go through. This also includes the complete foreign ownership of Idea’s subsidiaries - Idea Cellular Infrastructure Services and Aditya Birla Telecom. Vodafone will own a 45% stake in the combined entity. Meanwhile Idea’s shareholders will take a 29% stake and Aditya Birla Group, Idea’s parent, will own 26%. The company will be run by Balesh Sharma, the current chief operating officer of Vodafone India. The Idea-Vodafone merger comes amid a wider trend towards consolidation in the telecom sector. Bharti Airtel is in the process of purchasing the Indian operations of Telenor. One last approval However, before all this can go through, DoT needs Vodafone and Idea to clear around ₹57 billion in one-time spectrum charges (OTSC). As per the mergers and acquisitions policy for the telecom sector, all spectrum dues need to be cleared ahead of a merger. The companies might be able to challenge this in court, but will still need to provide a bank guarantee to get the DoT’s approval. The merger is slated for completion within the next few months. The managing board of Idea has called for a meeting <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/idea-to-become-vodafone-idea-plans-to-raise-rs-15000-crore/articleshow/64417846.cms">later in June</a> to consider all the requirements for the merger, including the name change and a proposal to raise ₹150 billion worth of debt capital. Despite its large size, it won’t exactly be smooth sailing for the combined entity. Domestic rivals Airtel and Reliance <keyword id="2003276" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio">Jio</keyword> will put up a tough fight for control of India’s telecom sector, which is currently characterised by heavy price competition and loss leadership.

Idea and Vodafone are a step closer to becoming India’s largest telecom operator

If you are a mobile phone user, you may be well aware of what a <keyword id="593157" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="call-drop">call drop</keyword> is. The problem is increasing day-by-day with almost every call you make. Concerned about the issue, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Prime+Minister+Narendra+Modi+">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Finance-Minister-Arun-Jaitley-still-wants-Goods-and-Services-Tax-by-April-2016/articleshow/48880656.cms">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley</a> 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 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=telecom+companies">telecom companies</a>. 
 The <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">prime minister</keyword> 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 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=call+drops">call drops</a>? 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 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=radiation+">radiation</a> 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. 
 <keyword id="137896" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="TRAI-chief">TRAI chief</keyword> meets Telecom CEOs: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Telecom+Regulatory+Authority+of+India+">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</a> 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 <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword> 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)

You Searched For "telecom operators" and got 12 results

Ravi Shankar Prasad says no to free spectrum to telecom operators

BI India Bureau

TRAI reminds telecom operators to compensate customers for call drops

BI India Bureau

TRAI’s Paper on Net Neutrality has a strong bias towards telecom operators: Rajeev Chandrashekhar

Richa Sharma

Intense tariff war is bleeding telecom operators. Here’s the proof

BI India Bureau

Telcos can now trade in Spectrum!

BI India Bureau

Telecom operators may soon be coming out with their own online calling apps

Prabhjote Gill

Telecos will not compensate for call drops as Supreme Court strikes down TRAI order

BI India Bureau

Your mobile bills could up in 2023 as telcos focus on profitability

ANI

Telecom operators want to serve top customers well, it will all depend on your phone bill

BI India Bureau

Telecom operators escalate war with Reliance Jio; say they are not obliged to give interconnection points

BI India Bureau

Idea and Vodafone are a step closer to becoming India’s largest telecom operator

Dilsher Dhillon

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

BI India Bureau

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