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Seeking comments on TRAI’s Consultation Paper on Compensation to the Consumers in the Event of Dropped Calls

Seeking comments on TRAI’s Consultation Paper on Compensation to the Consumers in the Event of Dropped Calls
Start Date :
Sep 09, 2015
Last Date :
Sep 22, 2015
00:00 AM IST (GMT +5.30 Hrs)
Submission Closed

In the past one year, consumers, at various fora, have raised the issue of call drops, complaining that their experience of making voice calls has deteriorated. In order to assess ...

In the past one year, consumers, at various fora, have raised the issue of call drops, complaining that their experience of making voice calls has deteriorated. In order to assess the problem, TRAI, in the months of June/ July, 2015, conducted special drive-tests on certain routes of Mumbai and Delhi, in which, it was found that Call Drop Rates of most of the telecom service providers (TSPs) were higher than the permissible limit of ≤2% set by the Authority. TRAI has prescribed financial disincentives on TSPs for failure to meet the quality of service benchmarks (including call drop).

TRAI is of the view that the problem of call drops needs to be examined in its entirety and requires adoption of a multi-pronged approach. It is also considering to make it mandatory for the TSPs to make periodic disclosures about (i) their network capacities and (ii) the steps taken to optimize their networks to address the problem of call drops. On the lines of drive tests undertaken in the cities of Mumbai and Delhi in June/July, 2015, the Authority would be conducting such drive tests across various cities in the country. While several steps are being contemplated, the Authority cannot remain a silent spectator to the problem of call drops encountered by the consumers.

In this background, TRAI has issued a consultation paper and has solicited comments with appropriate justification on the following issues:

Q1: Do you agree that calling consumers should not be charged for a call that got dropped within five seconds? In addition, if the call gets dropped any time after five seconds, the last pulse of the call (minute/second) which got dropped, should not be charged. Please support your viewpoint with reasons along with the methodologies for implementation.

Q2: Do you agree that calling consumer should also be compensated for call drops by the access service providers? If yes, which of the following methods would be appropriate for compensating the consumers upon call drop?

(i) Credit of talk-time in minutes/ seconds
(ii) Credit of talk-time in monetary terms
(iii) Any other method you may like to suggest.

Please support your viewpoint with reasons along with the methodologies for implementation.

Q3: If the answer to the Q2 is in the affirmative, suggest conditions/limits, if any, which should be imposed upon the provision of crediting talk-time upon call drop and usage thereof.

Q4: Is there any other relevant issue which should be considered in the present consultation on the issue of call drops?

Through this forum of My Gov, TRAI invites the comments of stakeholders on the above issues by 21st September, 2015.

Consultation Paper on Call Drops

Press Release regarding Consultation Paper on Call Drops

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Showing 508 Submission(s)
SUDAR VANNAN
SUDAR VANNAN 9 years 3 months ago

1. Agreed, call drops shouldn't be charged, either it happens in the first 5 seconds, or happens after 5 mins.
2. A compensation should be given when the call drops are frequent for a number, either they have to rectify it, or compensate it. The compensation should be free talktime of 30 seconds for every call drop.
3. The customers can be able to use the free talktime whenever they want, and it shouldn't have an expiry date.
4. Most of the areas don't get full signal. This has to improve.

manish.goyal77@gmail.com
manish goyal 9 years 3 months ago

Dear Modi Sir,
The similar problem like call drop is data usage.Companies are charging for 3 G service but the service is of lower grade like 2 G.In these type of cases the compensation should also be given.
I have got one more suggestions of standard validity period like it should be of 30 days not less than that.Some companies are giving 28 days validity so they are creating one more month in a calendar year.So it should be standardized.

hrishi360@gmail.com
rishi kumar 9 years 3 months ago

I instead of creating a large tower of infra structure of telephone network we should create a small network that just act as repelling effect created in pound during rain , where rain is call rate and water is the whole network interaction.

SagnikSarkar0@gmail.com
Sagnik Sarkar 9 years 3 months ago

Q4: Call Drops itself are of great inconvenience which cannot be compensated for by merely penalizing TSPs. It would be wise for concerned authorities to sit with all stakeholders (viz. TSPs' representatives, scientific experts, policymakers, environmental scientists, and so on) and decide on taking measures to improve network quality and coverage to prevent, or at least reduce call drops.

SagnikSarkar0@gmail.com
Sagnik Sarkar 9 years 3 months ago

Q2: If TRAI proposes TSPs not to charge the caller last pulse when the call got dropped, then it would be unfair for the TSPs to be charged any additional penalty, which would seem like an overhead. I am against such penalties if the above is implemented.

SagnikSarkar0@gmail.com
Sagnik Sarkar 9 years 3 months ago

Q1: Agree. The principle should be that if a call gets dropped before any meaningful conversation can take place, it would be unjust to charge the caller. The structuring should be minute-wise, according to me. Whichever minute the call gets dropped in, charging should be upto the previous minute. That implies that if a call gets dropped in the first 1 minute, nothing should be charged of the caller at all.

saran r s
saran r s 9 years 3 months ago

mobile networks are poor in small towns and villages especially BSNL. BSNL is becoming so poor in networks and GPRS packs.Consumer should also be compensated for call drops by the access service providers.I think credit of talk-time in rupees should be calculated and further they should be compensated.Within a minute of the call drop,the next call within a minute should continue in the last minute. with the same called no. on the second call drop,the whole of the call must not be charged at all.

Bhavya Mohan
Bhavya Mohan 9 years 3 months ago

Yes,consumer should also be compensated for call drops by the access service providers.I think that credit of talk-time in minutes/ seconds should be calculated and further they should be compensated.

akshaydhadda@gmail.com
Akshay Dhadda 9 years 3 months ago

compensation is a short term solution to the problem (though it will have a positive effect). the main aim should be to solve the problem permanently. TRAI has to play an important role in it and it can't just can't delegate the responsibilities on telecom companies.

compensation should be given to customers as the sole aim of telecom companies is profit motive and customer service is secondary. there is no proper grievance redrassal for our problems and even TRAI is not helping in this matter.

take example of RBI. there is a banking ombudsman scheme for grievance resolution and even banks are penalized for any wrong doing. this makes banks to improve their service and infrastructure so that same problem is not occurring again. similarly if there telecom companies are penalized then then only they will improve. since the matter is related with money thus compensation is the best solution of it. but for this regulator has to be strong.

I strongly support the compensation policy. why should we lose our hard earned money for the mistakes of others.