The government has swung full-on into action mode following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern over the call drop menace that’s been affecting the country for the past few months. As part of the administration’s efforts, the DoT has asked TRAI for its assistance to help solve the problem.
The regulatory authority would do this by evaluating the ability of telecom operators to serve consumers efficiently. If implemented, network providers would have to divulge whether they have enough infrastructure and capacity to supply satisfactory services. The DoT has started the initiative to not only curb the incidence of call drops, but also to let people make an informed choice when choosing a company.
According to PTI, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has requested TRAI Chairman RS Sharma to draw up a guideline regarding the issue. The document would direct telecom companies to reveal all the relevant information to customers and the government. The DoT had previously asked network operators to resolve the matter, failing which it would impose penalties under the license agreement.
The companies want at least 30 – 45 days to tackle the crisis. They’ve given the closing down of mobile towers and lack of spectrum as the main reasons for call drops. According to them, almost 7000 to 10000 sites have been closed down across major cities. They are additionally seeking a uniform policy for cell tower installations.
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Prasad on the other hand, has blamed a lack of investment by telecom providers to improve their networks as the major cause of call drops. A high-ranking DoT official has also been quoted as saying the increase in the problem is due to the companies not having optimized the spectrum at their disposal following the auction which took place in March this year.
He went on to explain that the network providers were allocating more spectrum for data. This practice in turn has lead to a sharp rise in call drops. The Prime Minister in a meeting last week apparently told Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg to address the problem on a war-footing as citizens get annoyed and curse the government when having to deal with the issue.