Call drops: Trai views on compensation by mid-Oct

Telecom Secretary conveys govt's concern to promoters of telecom firms

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) plans to come out with its final recommendations on a compensation plan by mid-October for mobile users, facing call drops.

Secretary (Telecom) Rakesh Garg has conveyed the government’s concern on the issue to the promoters of telecom companies, including Anil Ambani, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Sunil Mittal and UK-based Vodafone’s global CEO Vittorio Colao. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had asked the telecom ministry to take steps to improve the situation.

Trai has issued a consultation paper on the issue of compensation and is seeking comments by September 28 this year.

“We have floated a paper relating to compensation and have sought comments from operators... after which there will be an open house discussion. I expect that by October 10-15, we will give the final recommendations in this regard,” Trai Chairman R S Sharma said at an Assocham event.

On Wednesday, he had met CEOs of telecom companies on the issue. Trai will undertake a drive in another 15 days to check operators’ claims of improving the infrastructure.



In the same event, Bharti Enterprises Vice-Chairman Akhil Gupta said, “There is absolutely no shying away from the responsibility on this (quality of services)... we, as an industry, are committed to this.”

The telecom industry has already invested Rs 3 lakh crore in various spectrum auctions and will invest further to improve the quality of service.

Gupta complimented the government for providing support on various issues concerning the sector. “The support the government has given to us, particularly in the last 15 months, like spectrum auctions as spectrum is a lifeline of this industry, but let me particularly point out on the support given to us on passive infrastructure is absolutely exemplary,” he said.