Telecom regulator TRAI on Friday announced a consultation paper on review of network related Quality of Service (QoS) standards for mobile service.
TRAI issued the latest consultation paper after it failed to impose penalty through compensation on telecom network operators who do not meet QoS and customers face call drops. TRAI did not win the call drop and compensation related case in the Supreme Court.
India has more than 900 million mobile subscribers. Telecom network operators say that they are committed to make investment in mobile infrastructure and meet QoS standards. Due to huge cost of spectrum, telecoms are not in a position to make significant investment in telecom networks.
To ascertain the mobile QoS, TRAI has recently conducted a series of drive tests of mobile networks in select cities, through independent agencies, apart from the regular country wide drive tests conducted alongwith the mobile operators. COAI had earlier opposed these drive tests saying such initiatives are not giving adequate result. COAI said the reason for call drop issue is not the lack of investment in telecom infrastructure.
Network QoS
While the service providers are mostly meeting the benchmark for most of the QoS parameters, because of averaging the performance for the entire service area, a large number of consumers are complaining because of poor quality of experience (QoE).
As per the Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) submitted by service providers for the quarter ending 31 March, 2016, in 2G networks, only in 3 cases service providers are not meeting this benchmark. Out of 209 compliance reports submitted by the service providers, in 187 cases the performance is within the range of 0 to 1 percent. In 17 cases the performance levels are between 1 to 1.5 percent and in 12 other cases the performance was between 1.5 to 2 percent.
In 3G networks, as per the Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) submitted by service providers for the quarter ending 31 March, 2016, only 2 service providers are not meeting this benchmark. Out of 106 compliance reports submitted by the service providers, in 85 cases the performance is within the range of 0 to 1 percent. In 7 cases the performance levels are between 1 to 1.5 percent and in 12 other cases the performance was between 1.5 to 2 percent.
Call drop
Currently the benchmark for call drop rate is ≤2 percent. As per the PMR for 2G services for the quarter ending March, 2016, only in one case service provider is not meeting this benchmark. Out of 211 cases reported, in 176 cases the performance was within the range of 0 to 1 percent. In 24 cases the performance was between 1 to 1.5 percent while in 10 cases it was between 1.5 to 2 percent. Considering the performance of mobile service providers and the public outcry in recent times it is felt that there is enough ground for further tightening of the benchmark for this parameter.
As per the PMR for 3G services submitted by service providers for the quarter ending March, 2016, only in 3 cases service providers are not meeting this benchmark. Out of a total of 106 cases reported, in 86 cases the performance was within the range of 0 to 1 percent. In 13 cases the performance was between 1 to 1.5 percent while in 7 cases it was between 1.5 to 2 percent.
ISSUES FOR CONSULTATION
Question 1: In case QoS is mandated at a sub-service area level, which option (LDCA-wise or District Headquarter/ city/ town-wise or BTS-wise) you would recommend? Please comment with justifications.
Question 2: How should the call drop rate calculated – either at the Licensed service area level calculated during TCBH, or calculated during the Cell Bouncing Busy Hour (CBBH) at BTS level should be the benchmark? Please give your views on each parameter, with justification.
Question 3: How should the benchmark for the parameters be revised? Should it be licensed service area wise or district wise or BTS-wise or a combination? In such cases what should be the benchmarks? How should the benchmarks be measured? Please give your views on each parameter, with justification.
Question 4: How could the network parameters be technology agnostic? What are the parameters and benchmarks that are required to be defined? Please give your views with justifications.
Question 5: Do you think it is essential to mandate the TSPs to set the RLT parameter? If so what should be the criteria to set the value and the value that needs to be set. Please comment with justifications.
Question 6: Do you think it will be appropriate to calculate call drop rate through CDR meta data analysis? If so, what should be the benchmarks for such call drop rates calculated. Please comment with justifications.
Question 7: Do you think calculation of customer satisfaction index will help in QoE of the consumer? If so elaborate the methodology of the calculation of such indexes. What are the latent variable that need to be defined and how are they to be calculated? Please comment with justifications.
Question 8: What are your views on introducing a graded financial disincentives based on performance and what should be such quantum of financial disincentives for various parameters? Please comment with justifications.
