Telecom companies get 15 days to address call drop problem

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) set a 15-day deadline for telcos to address the problem of call drops on Wednesday. At a meeting held with top executives of leading telcos, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular and Reliance Communications, Trai Chairman RS Sharma rejected their argument that inadequacy of spectrum is leading to call drops. " The argument that spectrum is less is no longer valid because spectrum has suddenly not shrunk; rather, spectrum has increased,"

Sharma said after meeting chief executive officers of the telecom companies. Call drops have become a severe problem in recent months and concerns have been raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well.

Sharma said that the companies were informed during Wednesday's meeting that Trai would review the situation after 15 days while they were assured of support in dispelling fears related to radiation from the mobile towers."I have told them that after 15 days, we will have another test drive in Mumbai and Delhi and we will also have data relating to other places. We will measure if there is any improvement in the situation or not," Sharma said.

Asked if penal measures will be taken if operators fail to show any improvement, Sharma said, "We will cross the bridge when we need to, but I don't have any reason to disbelieve the operators. They are saying that they are making serious efforts to improve the situation. So, why should I presume that situation will not improve?" To a question on whether networks can be fixed in 15 days, Sharma said that operators are saying that they are making efforts.

Meanwhile at The Economist India Summit in the national capital, telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government is not thinking of any kind of penalty, but he did not rule out the option if the situation doesn't improve. "Naturally, if there is an issue, it needs to be addressed by those who are in the game. The government is continuously making all efforts on its part and the operators should also do their bit", he said.